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New blog - Dan Page Running

ABOUT ME
 
At the age of nine I was diagnosed with a disability called Perthes disease which made exercising more or less impossible. I spent weeks on end going in and out of hospital, being placed on traction and having to have a number of operations to lengthen the tendons in my groin. I had to have my hip pinned to try to increase the blood flow into my hip joint and this was followed by 6 weeks in broom stick pots. During this time I was wheel chair bound and then gradually progressed to using crutches and carrying out regular physiotherapy sessions to build up the muscles in my legs, as they were too weak to support my body weight. Perthes disease (also known as Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, or Calve Perthes disease, is a childhood disorder which affects the head of the femur (the ball of the ball and socket joint of the hip). In Perthes disease the blood supply to the growth plate of the bone at the end of the femur (called the epiphysis) becomes inadequate. As a result the bone softens and breaks down. The specialists told me that I would never be able to lead a fully active lifestyle due to the shorting of my leg and the weakness within my hip joint but  I stayed positive and tried to be as active as possible throughout my teenage years. I played as much football as my hip could handle and at the age of  eighteen I was finally discharged from the hospital.
 
I continued to play football until my early twenties but then my activity levels decreased and I put on a considerable amount of weight, but never really looked at myself as overweight. Looking back at the old me I was overweight and unfit, weighing four stone heavier than my current weight. A few of you might have seen the Fat Dan picture on Facebook. I eventually lost interest in playing football, I started to spend more time walking in the National Parks with my two boxer dogs and good friend Dan Milton. I gained an interest in walking challenges and completed the National 3 Peaks, Yorkshire 3 Peaks and the Lyke Wake Walk. This is where I developed my base fitness before embarking on the crazy challenge of running 100 miles in the Lake District.
 In 2012 we received some bad news about a close family member being diagnosed with cancer, I made the decision to sign up for the 2013 Ultra Tour of the Lake District, a 100 mile race in the Lake District for Cancer Research UK. I had to start running to get fitter to make sure I completed the race. A few months passed with me running on the local trails and then I decided I needed to join a running club to get some help and advice. After searching the internet I found a couple of local clubs and decided to join Clowne Road Runners. On my first training session I met Andy Ward who advised me to get in touch with Dave Tune at Blizard Physiotherapy and have a Lactate Threshold Test done, if I was going to take the 100 mile race serious.

On meeting Dave I was really impressed with how professional he was and his knowledge of training was fantastic. He made feel totally at easy and took the time to listen to me and explain everything, as there was so much information to take on board. A lot of the talk went over my head but he made sure I fully understood everything before I left. I told him my short term and long term goals so he could tailor the test and training to my needs. On completing the test he said that my running style and results suggested that I would be more suited to running on the roads and over marathon distance and not at ultras. Dave was confident he could have me running a 2hr 40 min marathon with the right training and support, I laughed at this statement as I never thought it would be possible as I was struggling to run 10min/ miles at the time. Even when I was playing football I was never renowned for my running.
 
 After my test I was given my training zones and a training plan to help me complete my 100 mile race. As the miles increased the support from Dave also increased and so did my confidence. I completed the race well inside the cut off limit and was one of the 25% to complete raising over £2,089 excluding gift aid in the process. I took advice on how to recover properly before going back to see Dave and having my training zones re- tested. We were both surprised to see how much I had improved. We sat down and chatted about moving to a road marathon and what I would have to do. We looked at how I would be able to achieve the target time he originally set of a 2:40 marathon and Dave was really confident that if I committed to a 6 month training plan he could get me running really well on the roads. I was a little unsure as I didn’t see myself as a runner but I made a commitment that I would finish the ultras off I had planned before taking a month’s recovery. This would put me in a good place to start on a strict plan that Dave would tailor to my needs. The plan allowed me to carry on progressing and to meet the milestones set along the journey and also ensured that I would be on track for the 2:40.
 
We decided that the Edinburgh Marathon would be my target race. I started off with a month’s threshold training to build my strength and get my body used to training on the roads. I had never done a lot of miles on the road before and I found that it was taking a lot out of my body. I kept in touch with Dave and he supported me throughout this time. At times I felt like I was contacting him too much but he assured me that he actually felt that I needed to have more contact with him, so that he could monitor my progress and guide me through. We identified 4 build-up races that would give me enough time to train and recovery properly. These races allowed us to monitor my improvement. I was instructed what I needed to do in the weeks prior to the race and how much recovery time I would need once each race had been completed. The week before each race I was given a predicted time that Dave thought I was going to run based around the information he had gathered from my training runs. The predictions proved to be correct every time, even though I often doubted my own ability to achieve them.
In six months I went from running a 5k in 19:02 to 16:16, 10k in 38:56 to 34:29, ½ marathon 78:11 to 73:45, producing times I never imagined possible. A few weeks before my first ever marathon I went back to have my Lactate Tests done. This time we looked at my capacity to run at the speeds around my predicted marathon pace to establish how my body would react. From this information we were able to put together a race plan that allowed me to run my perfect marathon.
The extra support I got in the final few weeks really helped, as I was over analysing everything and worrying that I wasn’t doing enough. With Edinburgh being my first marathon I didn’t have a clue about tapering but this was all taken care of. I believe I was in the shape of my life and feeling very confident on race day, maybe too confident as I set off a little too quickly in the early stages. At twenty miles my legs felt heavy, my mind was telling me it would be ok to walk for a while but as the finish line got closer, the crowds got bigger and there was no way I was going to give up. All of the very early cold, wet, windy mornings spent training weren’t going to be for nothing. I crossed the finish line in 2:42:27.
 
Without all of the information and support I received from Dave and his team I strongly believe that I wouldn’t have run a 2hr 42min marathon on my first attempt in addition I also qualified for a championship place in the London Marathon 2015.
 
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The Fellsman

 
The Fellsman

27th April 2013

61 miles

11,000 FT Climb

All in 24Hrs

The Fellsman WOW, where do I start, what a race,

Seven months ago a decided to get fit and run the Lakeland 100 for charity so I had to decide on a training plan and the events that would help me achieve this dream. I sat down with a calendar and my laptop searching different ultra-races, trying to decide which events fitted in with my training plan. The Fellsman fitted in perfectly 4months from the start of my training and 3 months before the main event. Not really knowing much about the event I just sent my money to secure a place in the event. Little did I know what I had let myself in for? The more research I did the worst in seamed, I had signed up for one of the hardest fell races there is in England and a lot would say it’s the hardest and I was calling this a training day, had I lost my marbles.

I decided to totally forget about the event and just fully commit to my training and diet and hope they would come together, 2 weeks before the race I started to turn my focus to the race day. As the miles came down it gave me more time to think about my kit, food and water and my route. I wasn’t sure what time I would be happy with. There was a lot riding on this event, the nerves and self-doubt started to creep in was I expecting too much in just a short space of time. If I didn’t complete this it would be a real blow to me mentally and put all my training and diet in to doubt.  

The night before I layed all my kit out and went through the kit list and the list I had made of all the extras I was taking, the kit list was a very soon came clear it wasn’t going to fit into my normal ruck sac. I had to put all my food and the things a thought would be needed the most into a little 6ltr bum bag so I wouldn’t lose time emptying my ruck sac each time.
 
 
 
On the morning of the race there were a lot of emotions running through my head luckily I was there in plenty of time to calm down sort my kit out, decided on my kit to wear I took my time to tape my feet as there were 7 out of the 10 toe nails missing a few old blister to see to and all this was before I set off on a 61 mile run but this gave me the chance to clear my mind and focus on the task ahead. I had done all the hard work. Feeling strong with no niggles my tapering had worked I was starting to focus on the positives I’v  had some really good results in the last couple of races my prep was good I didn’t need to worry as I went through my list of check points and the times I wanted to achieve there was a plan A and plan B on the list I had talked myself into plan B but as I sat there and started to feel more confident about plan A it was starting to seem more achievable and that was it. I fully committed to plan A so it would be pushing hard from the start hoping to go through  the 1st marathon in 5hr 12min.
The weather at the start was perfect, cool, still and sunny at 9:05am we set off straight up Ingleborough with the 403 other runners who'd made it to the start line. For the first  5miles I found myself in 5th place a position I didn’t expect, was I going to fast it didn’t seem that way as a was doing perfect splits of 12 min miles and feeling really good at this pace chatting away to the guy at the side of me. We seemed to be evenly matched so I spent the 1st 15 or so miles running alongside him, 2 guys had caught up with us by this time and we spent a few mile chatting to them, both of them had done it before and were looking really strong I over herd one of them say they knew a really good line over fleet moss so I was hoping to stay with them if possible. We reached the check point on Blea Moor. There pace picked up and a gap started opening up on us on the decent. It was decision time do I commit and hope I can stick with them for the easy line over Fleet Moss and risk the possibility of over committing and at 40 miles being tired with the hardest navigation section on the route to do alone.
The decision was made to pic up the pace and get on to the back of them little did I know this would be the best decision I would make as it turned out Kev and Alan where great chaps a pleasure to run with and the main reason I got a time I could have only dreamt of. I spent most of the day just running behind them as they were both a little too strong for me but we had a good laugh when I was up with them. They kept  my mind focused and made sure I was getting food and water and the check points.
We was expecting to get grouped for the last leg as time was against us but as we neared the check point we all seemed to sense it was possible to make it just in time not to be grouped. They found another gear to make sure, I gave them everything I had it was the least I could do for them. making it with 3 minutes to spare we quickly grabbed the supplies we needed, leaving the check point at 7.29pm
This was a big lift not getting grouped as it’s kind of 'god like status' at the Fellsman they told me.
I was lucky to get to the last check point without needing my head torch, all there was left to do was follow the road into the village turn right to the finish line. I told them not to worry about me it’s easy from here just keep going and I would see them on the finish line.
Easy how wrong was I, on getting to the junction for whatever reason I turned left and ran out of the village into the darkness but luckily something trigged in my head that I was going wrong but by the time I turned around and got back to the finish straight the group behind had passed me. I lost about 10 minutes and 5 places.
Still I was amazed to cross the finish line in 16th place with a finishing time of 12hrs 36min.
 

 
 

Please donate what you can every little helps. Thank You
 
 
 

 
 
 

Peak District - 50 mile Challenge 22/12/2012

Distance - 50 miles
Ascent - 5,390 feet
Time - 10hrs 30min
 
 

My 50 Mile Ultra Training Plan

 
This is my trainging plan I used to get me ready for my 1st 50 mile ultra, It worked really well for me helping me to finish in 10hrs 30mins which I was really happy with. I used to walk alot and run just when I felt like it so I didn't go into this plan totaly unfit, but I think having this plan stuck to my fridge door realy was the key to my success.
My 50 Mile Run

Week Mon Tue Wed Thurs Fri Sat  Sun Total
1-Sep 17th  0 4 7 4 0 13 10 38
2-Sep 24th 0 5 7 5 0 13 10 38
3-Oct 1st 0 5 7 4 0 20 8 39
4-Oct 8th 0 2 4 6 0 10 0 30
5-Oct 15th 0 4 7 4 0 14 10 39
6-Oct 22nd 0 7 3 4 0 14 10 39
7-Oct 29th 0 4 7 0 0 20 10 40
8-Nov 5th 0 2 4 6 0 0 14 30
9-Nov 12th 0 4 6 4 0 14 10 39
10-Nov 19th 0 4 6 4 0 22 0 39
11-Nov 26th 0 4 8 3 0 16 10 40
12-Dec 3rd 0 2 6 0 0 25.5 4 30
13-Dec 10th 0 4 0 6 0 0 10 42
14-Dec 17th 5 3 3 0 0 50 0 42

50 mile training run in the Peak District

 Gear sorted, food packed ready for a 3am wake up call for my 50mile challenge. Starting to feel a little out of my depth. You will be able to see where Iam on my live map which will update my location very couple of hrs.

This is a training run for my bigger challenge of running the Lakeland 100 so if you can please donate what you can THANK YOU

https://www.justgiving.com/DanielPage100

http://www.shareyouradventure.com/map/os/MountainBoxer01/50-training-mile


Photo: The route of my 50 mile training run i'm hoping to do on 22nd December

Lake District - Coniston - Buttermerre 08/12/2012

Distance - 25.1 miles
Ascent - 5689 feet
Time - 8hrs
 

Route - Coniston - Seathwaite - Eskdale - Boot - Wasdale Head - Black Sail Hut - Buttermerre