An Adventure at the Rat Race Coast to Coast

A Challenge a Year in the Making- The 2015 Rat Race Coast to Coast Event

By Jemma Bates

Jemma and Liam at registration in Nairn

The Coast to Coast event has been the main goal for this year’s training.  This for me has taken a lot of hours training not just fitness but how to handle a mountain bike.  After investing in a Rockrider 8.1 with the bike to work scheme at work.  I had to get used to using lever gear changers which my previous bike had temperamental grip shift gear changer and able to use these gears effectively.  My usual cycling was easy commute riding between points which had no technical difficulty so the transition to off road riding was certainly interesting,

The main change which had to learn was clip less pedals and used an mtb shoe which again was all new to me.  I was sent o get used to wearing these shoes and bed them in spin classes at the local gym.  It didn’t take long to see having these shoes I could go faster on a spin bike but found it hard to get in and out of these pedals.  Liam assured me that with perseverance I would get better and be second nature releasing feet from them.  My first ride using the bike with these new pedals was interesting and had a few accidents with incorrect gear changing and my rubbish un-clipping ability.  I have swore many times using these as to me was having to re learn how to ride a bike again.  The 1^st time I learnt was at the age of 7 almost 8 years old. Co-ordination and balance has never been a strong point.

What’s the point of doing some challenges if they were going to be easy?  I am not a natural athlete but steady progress is key and I had Strava to thank for that to get even a small positive from a supposed crap ride.  Fast forward it wasn’t till we had our holiday break in Newquay I had encountered a lot of road hills and many longer steeper hills than experienced at home.  From that Liam had been putting me through my paces at Sherwood Pines and other blue route locations in prep for the off road section in day 2 of the challenge.  I am sure there was a moment he was cursing me a lot and wondered will I actually get through this race.

Training for the Rat Race Coast to Coast

It's tough to train for such a big event but Liam helped give me some direction over the course of the year. Everything I've done has in some way helped with the preparation.

Bike riding- Building up to 50 mile cycle rides with cross country sections. I've been regularly riding down to the cycle routes at Sherwood Pines and riding back. It's a nice 20-odd mile ride if I follow NCN 6 from home, do a loop round the Blue intermediate trail and then head home all cross country. Hill, hills and did I mention hills (A week cycling around Newquay destroyed my Quads but I learnt a huge amount from it)

Running- Having a Rat Race season pass has stood me in good stead for this and helped developed what Liam calls my 'Diesel Engine'. From the tough hilly Deerstalker back in March to those torturous 20 miles of the Dirty Weekend through to the Trailblazer Half-Marathon events everything has been with a purpose towards the Coast to Coast. I had been hopeful of doing Man V Mountain but it was the weekend before the Coast to Coast and with such a demanding course there would be too much risk of me coming out of it in a worse condition which I didn't want on the run up to the Coast to Coast. However I'm determined to do them both next year after missing this year's event.

Kayaking. I have to admit that I was fortunate enough to get a small amount of practice at both the Stockton and London River Rat Race events so I was more experienced than Liam at something sporting for a change. I had been working plenty on my upper body strength and endurance too at the excellent Crossfit Hexis and this really helped. 

Kit Choices for the Coast to Coast  

We decided for me after reading past years racers experiences that having road tyres on my mtb and then change to knobbly tyres for day 2 which help and benefit ground conditions and would allow me to pick up pace on the road sections.  The road tyres I used was Nutrak 26 x 1.75 semi slick. .These tyres used the same inner tubes as my knobbly tyres and I was able to have greater speed and ease of riding when doing the road sections .  Having the same inner tubes means less equipment I need to take with me if should anything happen to the bike.

Choosing the right  bag which I would use to carry all the bits I would need for my Coast to Coast journey

Me and Liam was having a few discussions with this as I didn't want a bag too small and not fit everything in it and suggestions of a small light bag.  We then came to a joint decision of having the OMM last drop 10 litre bag would fit the job perfectly.  I must admit when it come from the Rat Race store it looked to be on the small side and I wondered will it fit everything in and be of any use at all.  I went on a few test runs and rides with it for feel of the bag and fit.

Getting the list of required items was needed to take with me was straight forward but to make sure was packed in the right bags for which day was a difficult one and shouldn't be rushed at all.  Liam's super cool organised approach did work out well.  Only one thing I forgot was my charger for my Garmin Forerunner 210 as there are charging points when you finish on day one in the food tent note for 2016 as this failed as we got to the Road run of the cycle leg of day two.

Prepping what you are going to eat while you are riding is a hard job which I still need to fine tune we took Peanut squares, Buttered Malt loaf, Flapjacks, Energy gels and a treat pack of beef jerky.  I found most of this OK to eat in tests done before hand and not sweet but in the saddle I found couldn't swallow or consume whilst moving and wont use again as food sources and with energy gels there is so many I can consume before I feel sick and unable to take on even when I need it which will be a battle for some time.

Getting to race day I have been a bag of nerves from getting my bike from been serviced to having my semi slicks put on my bike and to test ride on how will perform in the race.  I was not under any illusion would be quick nor find easy in fact I was shitting myself and questioning everything in my training and the events I had done before Coast to Coast.  After registering and getting my race numbers It was a case of having a good meal in my stomach and cast all feelings aside now if that wasn't hard enough.

Breakfast eaten we made our way to the start line and been scanned through awaiting our 1^st run me and Liam already got our plan of action sorted the last mile or so he would run ahead and make sure our bikes which we left at Cawdor castle was OK and ready to go about the time I got there via having a wee stop. This worked fairly well with Liam vanishing up the trail with a mile to go on the run, no doubt putting the frighteners on a few of the people he flew past en route to the bikes. By the time I arrived at Cawdor Castle (I didn't actually notice a castle to be honest I was so focused), Liam had managed to get pretty much everything in order ready for us to hit the road. 

After getting all set up and ready for going again it was a case of keep going and trying not to stop.  This was a impossible task as every so often was needing to blow my nose from another re-occurrence of a sinus infection but this I think I ended up middle of the field which was happy with but I found some of the uphills not favourable. Especially the last massive climb which i did a Jemma special and selected the wrong gear and my chain came off. Not un-clipping quick enough I managed to fall off my bike ungracefully into the kerbside grass verge.  I don’t know if Liam was cursing me or not but he sorted me out and we slowly made our way upwards. I really had to dig in and grit my teeth but I was compensated with a great downhill which I was so thankful for Liam to follow for my path on the road as we flew past a few cautious riders as we dropped down to Fort Augustus.

 When we got to transition at Fort Augustus we had a short run and Kayak on Loch Ness.  Both me and Liam got soaked me from the waves and Liam with my shit paddling and wet him (sorry).  Both of us managed to get back to transition and that was end of day one with plenty of time to spare allowing us to wander around the beautiful Fort Augustus, grab a beer (well earned) and a nice bite to eat on the Locks. 

The main thing was trying to recover the best you can and take on as much food as possible in preparation for day 2.

Coast 2 Coast Day 2

Getting up early and packing our tent up back up making sure we hadn’t left anything behind.  Triple checked our rucksacks for day two as we needed few extra mandatory items to carry which was needed for day one.  Liam had now fitted the night previously my knobbly tyres onto my bike as we had a good 20 miles off road to do and 13 miles on the road. 

We set off in a never ending line of people and trying to get comfortable again on my bike.  This proved difficult as tiredness started to set into my legs and they took a while for them to be persuaded to work efficiently.  The wind from the Loch on the left was a constant for at least 5 miles while we cycled. 
When finally came away from the loch edge and some shelter started to feel more comfortable.  This was short lived as we had to briefly get off the bike and wheel into the woodlands by a single track and started to climb in the woodlands and gain attitude.  This started to worry me slightly now as starting to form clusters and with me have clip less pedals I know wasn’t overly efficient at getting out of and when going up an hill.  Me been myself had come very close to hitting another person’s back wheel as she stopped in front of me on a hill thankfully I yanked out my foot just in time.  Casually saying oops almost went into the back of you.  Liam was saying later on not best thing to say oops and comment as it may have unsettled the rider which isn't what is needed for riding in a group scenario.

The route had a lot of ups which I wasn’t used to for group riding with some loose uneven ground descents. For this I was absolutely terrified and got to a tight bend which even with a foot un-clipped I couldn’t manoeuvre. It didn't help that there were people falling off bikes around me too. I walked down very shaken and in tears the series of tight switchbacks and when I finally saw the bottom and pulled out the road again I was relieved especially as this was the first proper point I was able to take more gels or food on. The off road section didn’t give you much opportunity to eat. 

After calming down and trying to “woman up” unsuccessfully we started the road section where my Garmin watch now decided to die on me and we had to use Liam's

The Road cycle which we followed had some beautiful scenery and plenty of hills which by now i was flagging a lot. As we started to near Fort William it was a case of digging in and keep on moving and get mentally prepared for my next challenge the run 14 miles of it.  Liam had spotted ahead a garage and said you fancy a mars bar i nodded yes please and said follow ahead and get to the bike drop off point and he'll see me there shortly.

Once we arrived at the transition we was only allowed to stay there for 30 mins. Just enough time to get more food inside me go to the toilet and take out the backpack all cycling gear I wouldn’t require from this point onwards.  Liam was an angel and brought said mars bar in a form of a Mars Duo which I polished off very quickly. On any given day me to manage a mars bar is hard going for me but I wolfed it down. It was agreed that Liam was going to run on his own and have some fun time on his own without me- a first over the weekend.  Staying and running at my walking dead pace wouldn’t be good for us.  I know my running would be on a serious empty but if had to crawl that run stage I would do so.

The Final Walk- Run to Glencoe

As I left transition I started to lightly jog I managed to carry on till I got to the forest entrance and the slowly inclining fire road which then slowed to a fast power walk pace.  This pace i kept up till came to the top of that peculiar peak and when started to descend down which was uneven that for me was proving difficult.  Shower of rain came down and decided to put my Scott jacket on to protect me so wouldn’t get cold which I then kept on right to the finish line. 

I met a few people along the way and that broke up the journey.  The last four or five miles I was subjected to the midges and they seem to attract to me whether it was the sweat or they just liked my contact lenses.  This made it gruelling and at this point I had ran out of water and the halfway point station as I found out from Liam was giving water out had no water.  I couldn’t take on any more gels or flapjacks without body starting the process of bringing up the gel as quick as I had eaten it.  When I finally got to descend down the grassy muddy hill to get to the Kayak stage I was thankful for been over taken by a group which offered me liquids which happily drank.  Getting to the bottom I seriously felt I needed my x-talons as my grip and traction was nonexistent in my trailrocs.  This is something would do have different running shoes for each day to suit the type of running involved.

The views from the Kayak finish at the Isle of Glencoe Hotel

The Kayak stage was a short run from where was a small cue of us waiting to be assigned to a Kayak as i came on my own I was asked if wanted to kayak on my own and there was another person not far behind could join me on the Kayak so decided to wait.  The guy was quite cheery and we set off.  Wasn’t long till found my new partner in crime started to cramp and stopped paddling and left me trying to compensate which was hard as I was at the back of the Kayak.  There was much pleading and anxious moments before we got a rhythm back as wasn’t strong swimmer and getting ever so near to a island which we didn’t need to be near to.  The period of time in the water time stood still so when saw the finish point I knew was close to completing my 2015 big challenge.  Wobbly legs wouldn’t run fast but with hearing Liam cheer me from the point he could see was my kayak to seeing him the massive hug was amazing and yes I cried and to proceed to say well what a shit run I had done just under 6 hours it took me everything out of me but even with the poor run i have achieved more than ever done to date over the weekend

I did Coast to Coast in 15:36:06.

Challenge for 2016 is to beat this on my own.

The breakdown of my times for the Rat Race Coast to Coast 2015

http://www.racetecresults.com/Results.aspx?CId=40&RId=7076&EId=3

Lessons Learnt at Tough Mudder by Jemma

Jemma did her first Tough Mudder event in 2014 at Broughton House in Northamptonshire. Here are some of her thoughts and feelings which we feel may help others to make the most of their experience

Jemma at her first Tough Mudder event 2014

What I Learnt from Tough Mudder

When I'm preparing for a race I'll be putting the hours in at the gym, boot camps and running in the great outdoors to get ready for the latest obstacle race so when you are at the start line you know you've done all that you can do to get to the finish line or better last years times. Failing to put the preparation work in can leave you in serious trouble on event day at long events like Tough Mudder where you're likely to be on the course for 3+ hours experiencing warmth, cold and fatigue.


I saw many training timetables online on how to train for events and to be frank I found these not helpful and too easy on participants.From the few previous events I'd done I knew I had to target certain areas and improve further on other areas.

Key Event Needs for Tough Mudder

• Upper Body- Hauling yourself over obstacles and holding your weight on monkey bars is far tougher than many training schedules allow for.
• Being able to run for extended periods was also beyond what I was used to doing

Not long after completing my first Spartan Race in 2013 one of our gym PT's suggested getting a team together for Tough Mudder. He ran a number of boot camp style sessions a week which I was attending where work allowed so it made sense to join up with their team for Tough Mudder in the Midlands at Broughton House, Kettering. By event day there were 24 of us which made up Team Jelly Fitness.

Try different energy gels to see what works for you

As Tough Mudder was going to be the longest event I'd done (I want to say "Race" but Tough Mudder isn't a race) Liam suggested to try using energy gels whilst running to keep my energy up over the course of an event. One of his best suggestions was to trial different energy gels during longer runs to see what worked for me. I initially tried the SIS (Science in Sport) gels which I found were relativity cheap and easy to find on the shelves of the local Tesco. I also picked up a variety of flavours to try as I know I wouldn't be happy consuming something I didn't like the taste of come the day of the event. 

My final food preparations for the race involved deciding how many gels I should carry. The event paperwork advised there would be feed and water stations around the course so I decided that to take 4 gels to supplement what had on the feed stations. Unfortunately I had very little experience with using these gels and when is the best to take them. 

Eat Little and Often to Maintain Energy Throughout the Event

On event day at the first feed station we were offered water and squares of a protein/ energy bar which was probably the driest thing I've ever tasted. I only manged half of the square as it was so tough it was almost one of the obstacles! Over the course of the event I learnt that whenever you're offered food take it as YOU WILL need it. At the next feed station was again that same awful protein bar and with the after taste of the previous square I was discouraged so settled for a gel and cup of water. Eventually I found that the SiS gels I was using didn't sit brilliantly on my stomach towards the end of the event and I'd need to look at other options for future events

Finding the Distance a Real Issue

During mile 8 I started to suffer from shooting cramps down my calves was handed a drink from a fellow person in my team who had a hydration pack with electrolytes in it and told to have another gel and that should help. At least i knew how to stretch out my legs to help ease the pain out. The one feed station after this was a bananas which I easily ate which the state was feeling I should have eaten another one along with more water than the two cups I drank.

When I completed the course even the electrocution at the end was too much to bare. I was feeling in a rather bad place with no energy left and my body cramping up. Given a bottle of water and another one of those protein bars I looked at that bar without any enthusiasm and tried to give it to Liam who refused and made me eat it before I could have that earned pint. Because I hadn't eaten enough this is one of the reasons why was in such a bad shape. If eating that bar was an obstacle then it was a hard one at the time.

Realizations After Tough Mudder

My after thought with this event was "oh shit I have little over two months" till I started my Spartan series campaign. Tough Mudder has its faults such as no timing, electrocution, no penalties or alternative if you fail an obstacle but it made me work on my distance more and try different forms of race nutrition to see what would suit me.

We talked over what I felt I struggled on throughout the course and as ever I found it to be my upper body strength. I simply could not hold the bars or rings on Funky Monkey or Hang Tough. Liam was  running alongside at points so he could see how my performance was and what I needed to work more on. This was a great help for the small things you don’t notice.

Take Positives Out of Each Event as Well as Negatives to Work on.

Every race I have now done I take a good thing and a bad thing from it so that got something to work on for the next time. Focusing on the good shows the progress you have made and the bad is where your going to conquer in future.

Jemma hated the electrocution element of Tough Mudder

The progress I made was visible throughout 2014. I went from struggling with the distance of Tough Mudder to finishing the longer Spartan Beast in much better shape. I also saw my strength and technique increase. At the beginning of the Spartan Race series I could barely roll an Atlas Stone along the ground yet managed to carry it during the last 3 races. I gained great satisfaction in lifting an Atlas Stone where there were blokes around me rolling them.

The bad for me is still elements of my upper body and grip as I've suffered badly with the monkey bars, rope climb and traverse walls.

As long as you're having fun, weaknesses are just something to work on in training. That's why I love obstacle racing so much as there's always something to keep me on my toes.

How to Get an I am Training for a Spartan Race Shirt

Ever since she got into obstacle racing and Spartan Race Jemma has craved on of the "I am Training For a Spartan Race" shirts. She's hunted high and low on eBay and online but the reality is that to get on of the T shirts you have to attend a Spartan Race training workout.

Jemma in her I am Training for a Spartan Race t shirt

Last weekend after seeing them advertised on facebook we headed up to the Regional Athletics Centre in Manchester to attend what we hoped would be a tough workout with a few obstacles to challenge us. Sadly we didn't get any obstacles but we did get a nice Bootcamp style workout with a Spartan Race theme. I'm sure I did more burpees in that one hour than at the whole of the 2014 race series put together (and I missed a lot of Spear Throws!!)

Jemma outside the Etihad Stadium Manchester. Shame she's a Red!

 For Jemma the main thing about that free workout was finally getting her hands on a I am Training for a Spartan Race T Shirt which she will now wear in the gym with pride.

Jemma Training for Dash of the Titan and Dirty Weekend

After last months exploits at the Mighty Deerstalker the events are starting to ramp up a level in terms of distance and potentially difficulty. The Deerstalker was a tough run but falls into the training plan of building distance with Jemma's next two big events ahead- Dash of the Titan and the Dirty Weekend at Burleigh House.

This weekend's upcoming Dash of the Titan is a local event that as racers we feel it's only right to support. Last year's running of this relatively new OCR event in the heart of Sherwood Forest was greeted with mixed reviews and there's a new team in place to hopefully put it firmly on the OCR map. It's also a qualifier for the National OCR Championships for which Jemma is hoping to qualify.

The qualification element of the Dash of the Titan is the first 5 mile lap, the hope is to finish within the top 10 of her age group to qualify for November's National Champs which will be a real achievement but one we're hopeful Jemma has the capability to do. This year might be a little early in her development but Dash will show the level she's now performing.

The plan for Jemma is to run through the finish line after lap 1 and continue for a further 5 mile lap. 10 miles seems a good step up after 14.5 or so racing kilometres at last months Deerstalker and will help in her build up towards the big one- Rat Race's Dirty Weekend in May where the full event distance is 20 miles so the training has to reflect that.

Last Saturday we headed out (Jemma running, myself on the cyclocross bike outside for the first time since breaking my leg so it was going to be a test for me too) for a long run as training for Dash of the Titan and with the view of taking steps towards the 20 mile race distance of the Dirty Weekend. The forecast wasn't brilliant but it looked from the news that we had a good window until around 10.30-11.00 before the rain was due. Armed with a Kalenji running hydration park and her Inov8 Terrafly 277's we tentatively headed out hoping to miss the rain

Jemma running through Bestwood Country Park in her Terrafly 277's