Blogs - 12 November 2014

Blog: David Ralph – What I think about when I’m running

Now (well) into my 50th year, I celebrated with my first ever 50km (32 miles) run this week end, with a lovely 5 ½ hours spent traipsing through the Kings Forest in great Autumn weather and colours – the bad weather rolled in at tea time by which time I was back home.

This is part of a plan to complete various running milestones this year – a mid-life crisis? – and also pre-empted me to write further on what I think about when I’m ticking off the miles.

As ever I set off a bit fast, at a pace I couldn’t sustain throughout – experienced ultra runner sustain pace throughout – but was comfortable at half way, struggled through the 3rd quarter and just about survived the final hour, spending most of the time thinking ‘why do I put myself through this’ and ‘does this reflect how I handle most challenges in life – initial enthusiasm, consolidation, finally simply hanging in there’. Certainly, I’ve always been better at change than consolidation and I often take on challenges in thirds – start-up – consolidation and conclusion/evaluation.

I also think about ‘bonking’. No, not that sort. Bonking, in running parlance, is when your body stalls mid-run. Most people will know it referred to as ‘hitting the wall’.

Further demonstrating that vocations often have their own language – being part of the club or in the know.

Economic development has, management speak in spades and most sports including running have it. Sometimes it’s about technical information but often it’s about egos. Frequently, it’s people trying to pretend you know what you’re talking about when you really don’t.

 But I do know a little about bonking, the collapse of a body, form, brain and perhaps most importantly, soul.

 Most importantly, whilst I might be tired and my muscles might by glycogen starved after 4 hours of running – in the case of this weekend 5 ½  hours running, I think most of it is in the brain. Your brain tells your body how it is behaving – it monitors heart rate, blood flow, sweating, breathing – one of the reasons I never run listening to music is I like to ‘listen to my body’ – perhaps I am really a hippy.

 However, I also think it’s about enjoying the moment. I run to enjoy the countryside and landscape – to immerse myself into it – not separate myself from it. Whether its running, walking, cycling or horse riding being out there is always great.

 My response to bonking is to over hydrate – I’m actually a bit manic about it. I load fluids 2 or 3 days before a long run and in any event I never ignore a drinks station. At the weekend, at each drinks station – there were 4 in total – I would have 1 cup of coke, 2 of orange squash and 2, water. Even on shorter runs, I can have 2 or 3 cups I do or I will nearly always drink the whole bottle.

 I don’t particularly enjoy running with a pack but will always plan a training run around access to water particularly to ensure my dog – my usual training partner at home – has similar access to fluids – at the end of a run I always give the dog fluids before myself.

 I’m not one really one for gels or sports drinks, but the best events will always have a biscuits and sweets – jaffa cakes are almost perfect racing sustenance. If I can, at halfway I’ll eat a few peanuts to add salt and at each drink stations put a handful of midget gems in my pocket to eat over the next hour. Setting off again after a stop always takes 5 minutes to get back into a rhythm.

 So to conclude, apparently you are most likely to bonk 2/3 of the way through a race. Avoid big energy spikes, run slow and strong – my mantra. Time is pretty irrelevant. Long runs are for fun and reflection – some would say run the second half faster than the first although I’ve never done this. And finally, try not to think about bonking – either sort.

David Ralph, Chief Executive, D2N2 LEP

Latest News & Events

19 July 2024

Local business support boosted with launch of Early Stage Angel Investment Fund

Read Article

21 June 2024

Spotlight on our Board: Scott Knowles, Chief Executive, East Midlands Chamber, on the D2N2 LEP transition and East Midlands devolution

Read Article

11 June 2024

The D2N2 LEP staff team joins the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA)

Read Article

07 June 2024

Becky Rix, Marketing Director at Roadgas, explains why Roadgas is a proud member of the East Midlands Hydrogen Consortium

Read Article

05 June 2024

Spotlight on our Board: D2N2 LEP Board Member Natasha Johnson, Director of Partnerships at Global Entrepreneurs UK

Read Article

05 June 2024

Free Expert Business Advice and Support available through East Midlands Chamber’s Accelerator Programme

Read Article

03 June 2024

Spotlight on our Board: D2N2 LEP Board Member Professor Edward Peck CBE, Vice-Chancellor and President, Nottingham Trent University

Read Article

24 May 2024

Focus on the East Midlands: our time is NOW!

Read Article

24 May 2024

D2N2 LEP CEO, Will Morlidge, shares our East Midlands Hydrogen ambitions at UKREiiF

Read Article

24 May 2024

East Midlands Freeport and Freeport East Sign Green Freight Corridor Initiative at UKREiiF

Read Article

Get in touch.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Sign up
Address

D2N2 Local Enterprise Partnership
8 Experian Way
Nottingham
Nottinghamshire
NG2 1EP

Social

Our Partners