Running in late 20s

Last October I tried to run the Cappadocia Ultra Trail and it turned out to be the first race that I didn't reach the finish line.  There were a few reasons behind that and a few lessons to be learned. Give your body proper rest after a (or a couple of) big races.  I ran the Eiger Ultra Trail E101 in July and the Swiss Irontrail T81 in August. Looking at my training diary there is a significant difference between the amount of training I had prior to the Eiger (April, May, June) and before the Cappadocia Ultra Trail (September, October). During summer I had a massive goal of getting all qualification point for UTMB and I trained so hard for it. In late August just after the Irontrail, I was quite week and need a good recovery. I didn't run for a few weeks. Then I start training only a few weeks before the race. But the amount of effort I made was nowhere near what I should have. I should have respected my body more and gave it a good rest.  Never Underestimate a race

This is definitely worth reading. Runner's World article on the possibility of running a marathon under two hours. It says a lot about the course, temperature, age, height and the other important factors. That reminds me of   The Perfection Point  by  John Brenkus (Check out the Reading list page). He predicts that the fastest time anyone can ever run a marathon is just under two hours. 

Just read the story of  Mauro Prosperi who got lost during the Marathon des Sables in 1994 and survived after 10 days. He will be running 7000 km across Sahara next year. This is definitely worth reading.

Just finished the Istanbul Marathon in 3:59. Not a PR but I'm quite pleased with that.

I'm heading to Istanbul tomorrow to run the Istanbul Marathon on Sunday. Last year I only managed to drag myself to the finish line and it turned out to be my slowest marathon. That was due to lack of training and running the first half of the race too fast. I haven't really trained for marathon distance since then and my main focus was running ultra trail races, so a PR sounds too optimistic. But I am in better shape comparing to last year and I hope with pacing myself properly, I will be able to run better this year. I'm sure no matter what happens this Sunday, I'm going to try my best and enjoy every single stride along the way. Stay tuned

Just a quick note on Cappadocia ultra trail. For the first time ever I had to drop out of a race. That happened at 77th km due to severe pain in shin area and dropping the body tempreature and shivering. DNF ( stands for Did Not Finish) really hurts. There are lessons to be learned and I'm going to write a detailed post on this one. 

Heading to Turkey in a few days to run the Cappadocia Ultra Trail on Saturday. A 110-km trail race with 3300 metres of elevation gain. This race is a bit different from my last ultras. It is the longest distance I've ever run, but there is not a massive climb and the elevation gain is significantly less compared to the previous ultras. After the Eiger and the Irontrail, I had a few weeks of almost no training. I started to train for this race in mid August. Had a few long runs and also did a bit of strength training at the gym. I am now tapering and getting ready for the challenge. I might not be in my best shape, but my mind is set. Whatever happens, I'm going to give it my best this Saturday. Training near Tochal summit, my favourite place.  The race elevation profile For my everyday training photos check out my instagram profile: mamad_m and the hashtag #runninginlate20s Stay tuned

This is a long-awaited race report. This delay was due to a few reasons - or better said excuses - I hope that I can provide as much details as I can after a couple of months.  Last August I went to Davos once again to run another ultramarathon. Davos is where I ran my first marathon (Swissalpine C42, July 2012) and my first ultra (Swissalpine K78, July 2013). And this time I was heading there to run the Swiss Irontrail T81 and get qualified for the UTMB. UTMB stands for The North Face Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc, An ultra trail that perhaps everyone who is into ultra running wants to run it.  It is 168 km with 10,000 metres of elevation gain. In order to attend the race, you need to collect 8 qualifying points by completing a number of ultra races. Each race gives you between 1 to 4 qualifying points depending on length and elevation gain. You need to get your 8 points in maximum of 3 races.   There are five different race distances to choose from in Swiss Irontrail. T21, T41, T81

The race report comes in a few days. Just a quick note to let you know I crossed the finish line in 19 hours 34 minutes.

This Friday I'll be running the Swiss Irontrail T81 . 88 km  run with 5000 metres of elevation gain four weeks after the Eiger Ultra Trail. After the Eiger trail, I spent a few days recovering. I was suffering from shin splints for the first time since I started running. When the pain faded away, I went for a 15k run and the day after my shins were sore again. So I had a couple of weeks of recovery and only went for a couple of easy runs. After a few physiotherapy session, my leg is now pain free and I cannot wait to face the next challenge. It's not gonna be easy, but I will give all I've got to finish this race and get enough qualifying points for the UTMB 2015. Stay tuned

I just cannot wait for this. Swiss Irontrail T81: 88.1 km, 5010m elevation gain.

"Run if you can, walk if you have to, crawl if you must. Just never give up" Dean Karnazas Last Saturday and Sunday I ran the Eiger Ultra Trail, a 101 km ultramarathon with more than 6700 metres of elevation gain. I arrived in Grindelwald on Thursday and went to collect my bib number on Friday morning. The race organisation was quite good for a race in this size. There was a strict equipment check at the bib number distribution which I appreciated during the race. They asked every runner to bring all the mandatory gear listed on the website in order to collect the bibs. Apart from the bib numbers we were handed out a plastic cup in order not to use many disposable cups along the way. There was also a reflective band which we had to wear after 9:30 pm. The mandatory gear that should be carried along the way Weighs around 4kg (including 1.5L of water) Pasta was served from 12 to 7 pm and there was a briefing session on Friday evening at congress centre which ev

Just a quick note to let you guys know I've finished the Eiger Ultra Trail in 25:12:38 Full report will be posted in a few days. Stay tuned

There is only a few hours left to start my first 100k, to challege my body and mind in another level. Sitting a few meters away from the finish line, eating a plate of pasta and chatting with the other runners. Everyone's got an inspirational story to tell. All are enjoying what they're doing. Nobody's been forced to put themselves into this kind of torture. Nobody says it'd be easy, but we are all sure that it's gonna worth the pain. We know It's well worth the struggle.  "The eye of the tiger" is playing and I'm thinking of the time that I was not a runner. I don't know what happened if I never started running. But I am absolutely pleased with what I'm doing now.  No matter what, I'm going to give it all I've got tomorrow to achieve - once more - what I thought was impossible.  Staring at the finish line, I know for sure something is gonna change inside me when I cross it. 

It's been quite a while since my last post here. This is a short one just to say what I'll been doing in a few days.  The race report will be posted shortly after the race.  This Saturday I will be running The Eiger Ultra Trail, a 101 km race for which I've been training almost as hard as I could in the last few months. I said almost because you can never train enough for these kind of challenges. I can say that I am now in the best shape I've ever been and I am going to give it my best effort. The race elevation profile, 6700 metres of elevation gain is not gonna be easy! Stay tuned guys

Instagram is my favourite social network. I've been using it for more than a year now. Searching the username mamad_m and the hashtag #runninginlate20s should take you through my photos. So let's keep in touch and inspire one another.

Just watched this film last night. A documentary of 2010 Western States when four of the greatest runners compete with each other to win the one of the most prestigious ultra races in the world. It also features Gordy Ainseligh who was the first human to run the western states course - which was a 100-mile horse race - in just under 24 hours in 1974. Highly recommended for everyone interested in ultra trail running.

Since I started running, I have been injured a couple of times a year. It was about six weeks ago that I twisted my left ankle. For a couple of weeks before then I couldn't run quite often due to the air pollution in Tehran. And I decided to sneak a couple of long runs while I was away in mid February. We were in Qeshm Island - the largest island in the Persian Gulf - and it was a great day for running. I started running at 6am and after almost 200 metres my left ankle twisted. I stopped, walked for a few seconds and started running again. I knew that it might get worse after this run, but I couldn't help running. after a few minutes the pain faded away. I ran 14 km and when I finished my run the pain came back. It wasn't the worst ankle sprain I had, but it took me longest to recover. I am just about to recover now, but I missed so many training sessions that I decided - only 12 days before the race - not to run the Iznik Ultramarathon.   My next race will be Eiger Ultr

The other night I went for a 10k run on snow, slush and ice. Didn't drink before and during the run. After running I had a banana and a small bottle of water. Up to this point it was going all right. That was when I started drinking with friends and had several drinks during the night. And as a result came the worst hangover I've ever had that lasts for more than 24 hours. I missed one training session and was feeling absolutely fatigue the day after.  If you are a runner you are likely to have low alcohol tolerance. There is a few reasons to that. You probably only drink occasionally, so your body hasn't built up the same alcohol tolerance as someone who drinks regularly. Because you run regularly your metabolism rate is higher and you get the effects of alcohol faster than someone who doesn't exercise regularly. And because you are likely to have less body fat alcohol remains in your body longer.  Alcohol affects your training in different ways. In short term

Happy new year everyone! In 2013 I ran 1468 km. Considering a couple of injuries and the time I dedicated to hiking, It wasn't a bad year at all. Now that I have planned a couple of marathons and ultras for 2014, I will try to run more than 2014 km this year. That's 5.5 km a day on average. Let's see how it goes. Wish you all the best in 2014.