JOGLERs Corner
Tips & advice from other JOGLE runners:
Aleks Kashefi
https://pursuingthevoid.wordpress.com
On day 38 of my LEJOG, despite others not really thinking it was going to happen, I ran 55 miles through Scotland, in driving wind and rain and reached JOG with enough left to get a sprint on and leave my Uncle behind (he’d joined me for the last 20 miles and is a long time runner). So, having completed the trip what tips can I give a set of people who are likely to be experience runners, bearing in mind I’ve only been running for 3 years and at the start couldn’t even manage a 30s jog without having a near death experience?
Here’s what I think is going to make the difference to your prep and getting the challenge complete…
-
When you train, train to function tired. We make mistakes when we are tired, whether its lack of sleep, lack of food or just plain old muscle fatigue. Part of my training involved fitting in 70-80 mile weeks with one rest day whilst doing a full time job, but none of the miles were junk. Majority was focused on the slow steady plod, carrying a pack full of whatever I could find at the time, and making a simple hilly route into a route that involved scrambling, climbing and even more hills than original. Don’t be scared of doing back to backs, but follow a simple rule for them. Train hard the day before and then force yourself to go slow. I spent a few quality weekends running 60 miles after having destroyed my self in a gym or doing crossfire to the point that my legs would shake when I tried to kneel or squat down. If you train yourself to cope with this amount of fatigue in a controlled environment, your more likely to be abe to cope when you’re somewhere you haven't ever been. The terrain you’ll come across will also be some of the toughest, technical trails in the UK so make sure you train on the sort of terrain you are going to run on. Junk road miles won’t help you when you are having to run along the South West Coast paths rocky, hilly landscape.
-
Practice getting lost and finding your way back! I didn’t recce a single section of my LEJOG and on some days, I’d change my route just because I fancied a change from a boring section of trails. All I had was the OS maps (1:50k downloaded on the OS app) and my compass. I even made my way across Exmoor with nothing more than a super basic road map and used compass bearings to get me from Barnstaple to Wheedon Cross off road. If you go the wrong way, its sometimes far better to just reroute from your position than go back the
way you came. Part of the whole challenge for me was that I was actually exploring the UK. I’d never been out and on the trails in Scotland, I’d
never seen a single section of the South West Coast path and I’d never even heard of Wentlock Edge. Still, I made it to my stopping points
everyday and with plenty of time to spare.
-
Dont carry things you don’t need but someone said you might. This is the hardest one to get right. I was told to take a safety blanket, head torch, creams and balms, extra water bottles and food, but I ditched them all fairly quickly. I didnt even bother with a head torch. I was asleep most of the time when it was dark so why bother with one? If you find you aren’t using something after 2-3 days, my advice is get it out of your pack and don’t carry it. There are shops along the way that you can buy anything you need and a night being cold can be fixed quicker than an injury caused by carrying too much.
-
Learn about your body. Not just what to eat and drink or how much, but learn how to deal with different injuries. People often have to give up because of injuries, but if I can manage to carry on with severe Achilies tendonitis, a self inflicted broken toe, a stomach bug lasting 11 days and food poisoning on the penultimate night, anyone can do it. Research the causes of different aches and pains, since they are all linked with the way you are moving around, learn how to fix the cause of these pains and have conversations with a physio about different stretches for different muscle groups. I self treated everything that cropped up, and although I had a physio session half way through the trip, I’d managed to improve everything in the 400 miles before I reached the physio.
-
Your route and route schedule are not written in stone. This is your adventure and really the only important parts are to start at one end and end at that the other. Changing the route will often give your brain a break, help you find little hidden treasures you didn’t know existed and even provide easier terrain when you need it. But at the same time, if there are paths like the Offa’s Dyke path you need to be aware that the other paths on your map have most likely overgrown and been barred by farmers and land owners because they aren’t used any more. This happened to me along the Offas Dyke path section of the route and in Scotland, where the main ways mean that anything else is going to be tough going.
-
When you hit the coast, plan everything to coincide with low tide times. Some of the paths go across foot bridges that can only be crossed at low tide. The section between Newquay and Crantock is a prime example, where you will have to run inland if you miss time your arrival at the beach.
-
If you want to avoid foot problems caused by wetness and blisters, be prepared to think out of the box and maybe even go barefooted. It’s easier than you think, you don’t need to have tough feet. In fact the skin on your feet will be softer than someone who wears shoes all the time, but when the ground is boggy and wet, you will have feet that look as though they’ve been in dry conditions all day, as opposed to the ‘decade in a bath’ look, or the horrendous blisters. Health warning is standard though. Don’t do too much if you’re not used to it. I’ve got my doubts whether this is down to ignorance of the bodies natural capabilities or scientific proof, but that’s not really relevant. Listen to your body and if it is saying the shoes are a problem, sort the problem quickly.
Since you are likely to be doing a JOGLE be ready for the wind to be blowing in your face at the start and at the end, not forgetting the stupendously fun, but technical and full of steep descents and ascents, South West Coast path. If you do a LEJOG, its a baptism of fire, and if you do JOGLE its a case of save to hard bit till last.
Most importantly, learn to enjoy it. Smile when everything is going wrong, sing out loud, laugh and take the time to enjoy the places you are passing through.