Egan's Altitude Adventures

Forty-two hours in Copenhagen; nothing at all to do with altitude

noreply@blogger.com (Eliz2) — Fri, 22 Sep 2017 21:04:00 +0000

It may have been short, but my 42 hour trip to Copenhagen last weekend was definitely action-packed and eventful. Indeed, it was a bit more eventful than I would have liked.

Needing a new challenge after a prolonged chest/sinus infection last January, February, March… called an abrupt end to a cross country season that was only getting started and hampered any chance of a decent track season, I signed up for the Copenhagen Half Marathon. The original, optimistic target, for what I was reliably informed was a pancake flat, fast course, was 80 minutes, or at the very least a revision of my six year old best of 84:04. Those targets were gradually readjusted as one tiny setback after another (ageing, mainly), hampered training. I got the odd session in, and had done one run of longer than an hour and a half, so going into Sunday’s race, I still believed that sub 90 was possible.

Hitting two kilometres at 85 minute pace I was acutely aware that I was going too fast, and took the foot off the proverbial pedal a bit. I hit 3km faster than I ran for 3000m steeplechase at the Irish Championships earlier this summer, and went through 5km still well on target for sub 90. But I was slowing, and long before the half way point, I was swallowed by the 90 minute balloons group. The target would need to be revisited again! Momentarily, 1 hour 40 mins became the new point at which I would be truly ashamed. Thankfully I started to feel good from about 6km out, and was able to pick things up in the final stages. I even managed to sprint up the home straight to cross the line in 94 minutes and 33 seconds. The time, a personal worst (not my first of 2017) by more than 4 minutes, and more than 10 minutes slower than my best for the distance, was nothing to be proud of, and was initially a disappointment, even if I had 94 minutes and 33 seconds to come to terms with the fact that this wasn’t going to be a memorable performance. But given that last May I was struggling to run 30 minutes at 9 minute/mile pace, it was a decent step forward.

But that’s not the whole story!

We set off on Sunday’s 13.1 mile tour of the Danish capital in glorious sunshine. ‘Perfect conditions for racing’, the commentator reminded us moment before the off. And so they were. Somewhere along the way it clouded over, but the conditions were still pleasant, even if the water stations couldn’t quite come fast enough. The first welcome drops of rain started to fall as we passed the interesting Nyboder district (17km), and the following couple of kilometres passed quickly. By 19km, the light drizzle had turned to heavy rain and soon after a torrential downpour accompanied by all the light and sound effects of an electrical storm. The kit which I had earlier taken care not to dampen too much at the drinks stations was quickly saturated, as were the running shoes. The bolts of lightening and cracks of thunder were disturbingly close together, and a quick look upwards revealed an unavoidable line of electric wire linking street lighting along the entire length of Strandboulevarden. Nothing could be done but forge on for the finish line as quickly as possible.

After 10 minutes of very heavy rain, the finishing straight had become waterlogged, and the final run-in was through 3 or 4 inches of water. Finally I felt at home! Finishers medal, plastic bib, water, apples and other treats were quickly collected from brave volunteers smiling in the middle of a muddy, waterlogged field, and I mustered all the energy I could to get running again and make a bee-line for my hotel. The rain eased somewhat, but the respite was short lived. Shelter had to be sought to allow the worst of a heavy hail shower to pass.

We really were getting the full Danish weather experience.

But that’s not the whole story!

A quick shower, refuel and change of clothes later I was back out on the now sunny streets on a mission to experience as much of Copenhagen as I possibly could in the few hours I had available to me.

Views from the bridge. Tick. Nyhaven. Tick. Ice cream. Tick. Amalienborg Slot. Tick. Gerfioun Fountain. Tick. The Little Mermaid. Tick. Kastellet. Tick. A closer look at Nyboder. Tick. Rosenborg Castle and Park. Tick. The narrow streets of the main shopping area. Tick. Overpriced pizza. Tick. Some light souvenir shopping. Tick. Tivoli Gardens by night. Tick.

Back to hotel.

Pack bag.

Sleep.

I was exhausted after an action-packed day, and in a deep state of unconsciousness when, at 2.30am, I was rudely awoken by a heavy racket in my room, and the quick realisation that there was an intruder. I quickly worked out that the noise was coming from the window, which in my box-sized room was just centimetres from my feet, and that somebody was putting a lot of effort into pulling by sodden, smelly, worn-out runners through the slightly ajar window.

‘Oi, oi, oi,’ I shouted, quickly followed by ‘F*** off, you bastard,’ as I grabbed my precious shoes. The perpetrator eventually let go (what sort of a thief doesn’t drop everything and run as soon as they’ve been interrupted, anyway?) and toddled off with himself, but not before my heartrate hit a point not reached hitherto that day, dramatic sprint finish included.

There’s no getting back to sleep after an event like that!

Just as well I had an early flight to catch.

But that’s not the whole story

It wasn’t until Tuesday that I realised just how bad things had got at the finishline on Sunday’s race. The finishing mats had floated down the finishing straight, three people were hit by lightening, and the race was eventually discontinued about 2 hours and 15 minutes after the start. Reports of snow, however, were misplaced. It wasn’t anywhere near cold enough for snow.

I had to wait until Monday, and my arrival in St. Moritz, to see some of the real white stuff!

And that’s where the real story begins…

#AltitudeTagIt

noreply@blogger.com (Eliz2) — Sun, 19 Mar 2017 21:29:00 +0000

It's that time of year again when many track athletes head to the hills for a spot of altitude training in preparation for the summer track season. The trails of Font Romeu, Flagstaff and elsewhere will get busy over the Easter period as athletes of all levels go in search of thin air.

If you're heading to altitude this spring, and would like the chance to win a copy of Notes from Higher Grounds, then be sure to use #AltitudeTagIt when posting your photos on Twitter and Facebook. All photos suitably tagged before 30th April will be considered.

We'd also love to hear from anyone willing to share their altitude training experiences. Whether you're an altitude training novice interested in reporting on how you're adapting to training; an expert willing to share a few tips we'd love to hear from you. We're looking for all types of gest blog, whether it be a photo blog of your Ethiopian adventures, suggestions of Boulder's Top 5 cafes or a summary of the top trails in Albuquerque. All published guest blogs will be rewarded with a copy of Notes from Higher Grounds.

Don't be shy; get involved and lets get #AltitudeTagIt trending.

St Mortiz Travel Tips

noreply@blogger.com (Eliz2) — Thu, 20 Oct 2016 21:49:00 +0000

Over the past month I've been sharing details of my favourite trails in St. Moritz, posting photos from my afternoon exploring expeditions, and suggesting some things to do between training. Here I share a few tips on travel and staying in St Moritz. Everything else you need to know about training in the town - including how to get there, where to stay, what sports facilities are available and how to access them, tips on booking accommodation, and other useful information - can be found alongside information about 14 other altitude training destination in my book Notes From Higher Grounds. It would make a great Christmas present for you. Go on, you know you want to treat yourself!

Taking the train
If you're travelling from Zurich to St Moritz by train, book in advance. This will save time/effort at the airport/station and also a bit of money if you're willing to commit to a set time. You can save up to 50% of the standard price when booking in advance (you can book up to 30 days before intended travel), which, when we're looking at standard prices of 70-80 Swiss Francs each way, can add up to quite a bit. Your booking will also let you know which platform you arrive on/leave from, making transfers easier. You'll need to show your passport as well as your electronic (smartphone) or printed ticket on the train, and your ticket will absolutely be checked.

While the route that changes in Landquart is quicker, the one through Chur is more interesting (both are pretty routes, but there's an extra degree of architectural beauty with the Chur route, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Bernia Express route). It is a highly recommened journey!

Shopping
While the large Co-op shop in St. Moritz has the widest variety of food, it is not always the cheapest option. Large quantities of fruit and vegetables can be bought at a reasonable price there, but for better allround value try the Denner supermarket across the road from the ice rink/gym building, or the Aldi supermarket in Samedan.

Eating out is expensive, but most appartments are well equipped for catering for yourself and with a good variety of fresh food available in the town's supermarkets, eating in is definitely a good option. There are several public barbacue sites in the town.

Toilets
Public toilets are plentiful in St. Moritz, and you'll even find some at the busiest points on the trails, so you should never really get 'caught out', so to speak. They are, in general, just port-a-loos within a wooden cabin - to make them look nice. However, the wooden surround does make them a bit darker than normal though, so be careful. They are generally clean, and well maintained, so usually have toilet paper. There are even changing cabins by the Lej da Staz, so you can get changed before/after a refreshing dip.

Maps
Like everything in St. Moritz, maps are expensive. But there are such a valuable resource. The free streetmap will help you find your way around town, but the more detailed mountain biking and hiking maps, available in many of the shops and supermarkets in the town, will give you great ideas of where you can run, and what the flattest/hilliest runs might be.

And in case you missed them, here are the other blog posts from my most recent visit:

Trail suggestions
St Moritz Trails Part 1: The Lake
St Moritz Trails Part 2: East of the Lake (Aka Hostel - Forest - Staz - Celerina - Via Grevas loop)
St Mortiz Trails Part 3: The Other Lakes (Lej da Champfèr, Lej da Silvaplauna and Lej da Segl)
St Mortiz Trails Part 4: Down the Valley (Celerina, Samedan, Bever and beyond)
St Moritz Trails Part 5: Behind the Mountain (Val Roseg)

Things to do
St Moritz Things to Do Part 1: Funicular and Cable Car to Piz Nair
St Moritz Things to Do Part 2: Take Your Camera on a Little Walk
St Moritz Things to Do Part 3: Take in the Olympic Sites
St Moritz Things to Do Part 4: The Heidi and Ursli Trails

I had planned on visiting the museums and putting together some suggestions of what to do on a rainy day, only it didn't actually rain while I was there, so stayed outdoors instead. Sorry! Maybe next time.

Meanwhile, you can have a look through some of my photos from the trip on FlickR

St Moritz Things to Do Part 4: The Heidi and Ursli Trails

noreply@blogger.com (Eliz2) — Tue, 18 Oct 2016 15:07:00 +0000

Most things to do in St Moritz involve physical activity of some form. And climbing a mountain is an obvious way to spend a sunny morning or afternoon in the resort. In a previous post I described my trip to the top of Piz Nair, and my hair-raising hike back down again. If you don't fancy something quite so energetic, but would still like to get a view of the town from above, perhaps you can explore the novel Heidi and Schellenursli trails on the lower slopes of the mountain on which St Moritz is perched.

You'll find a trail head just west of St Moritz Dorf by the Segantini Museum. This trail winds gently up the mountain; the trails as this end of town are less steep than the ones directly behind the village. (The Talabfahrt St. Moritz Bad ski trail from where Via Somplaz and Via Chavallera/Via Survretta converge is also a good place to start your ascent).

After climbing through the forest along Via Laret and some narrower trails you'll reach a road (Via Laret and then Via Signal) which meanders up the mountain through the ski area. After following this for a short time, you'll reach the start of some of St Moritz's more novel mountain walks. If you're travelling with children, these are a particularly nice place to spend an hour or two, but adults, too, can be entertained and enchanted.

If you don't feel like climbing up the mountain, take the Cable car from St. Moritz Bad to Signal and walk down Via Salastrains to the trail head, or take the funicular from St. Moritz Dorf to Chantarella (the first stop) and walk across to the start of the Heidi trail near by.

Heidi Flower Trail

This kilometre-long walk, which is relatively flat and suitable for wheelchairs and pushchairs, will be of particular interest to flower lovers, with approximately 200 different Alpine species laid out in pretty flowerbeds. You can pick up a free brochure detailing the plants present in the Tourist Information office in St. Moritz Dorf.

St Moritz was, of course, one of the filming locations for the 1952 Heidi film, and the Heidi Hut, used in that film, still stands. It can be found not far away on Via Salastrains, just before the hotels in the Salastrains ski area.

Schellenursliweg (Ursli and the Bell Trail)

This trail tells the story of Ursli, a small boy, and the Bell in four different languages. The rhyming story (yes, it rhymes in all four languages!) is written out in 'chapters' at different points down along the trail.

Carved themes bring the story - a local fairytale - to life.

It's important to remember that the story runs from top to bottom, so start at the trail head by the Heidi Flower Trail, and head back to the town, rather than the other way round.

Don't forget to take your camera. The views of the town from the hill are pretty cool.

St Moritz Trails Part 5: Behind the Mountain

noreply@blogger.com (Eliz2) — Wed, 05 Oct 2016 00:00:00 +0000

Val Roseg

When you think you've explored all that St Mortiz has to offer - circled the lakes up the valley; explored the valley around Celerina, Samedan and beyond; ran the forest trails to the east of the town; even tested out the mountain routes to the north and west - there are still surprises awaiting.

Looking at my treasured map the other morning, I felt that there couldn't be many more surprises - sure, there were paths and trails that I'd never reach on, but after two visits I felt that I had a good feel of the area and all that there was on offer.

But there was one possible option left. My map showed a valley at the back of the mountains south of the town, and the access from Pontresina seemed pretty flat. Only problem was that I knew that it would take almost 30 minutes to get to Pontresina - if I was going to make this, I'd have to do longer than the planned 60 min run.

And so off I set...

From Lej da Staz, take the trail behind the restaurant towards Pontresina. The first section is slightly uphill, but then it's gradually downhill all the way towards Pontresina station where the trail comes to an end.

Leaving the station to your left, follow the road for a couple of hundred metres past some houses until it veers right just before the river and turns into a trail again. Do not cross under or over the railway line at any point.

The trail here is wide, level and gradually uphill, and stretches on for miles up the valley. At first it looks like it is one long straightway with spectacular - but similar - scenery as far as the eye can see. But the scenery does change. There are more trees in parts, cool waterfalls, and as the path gently meanders up the valley you get different perspectives of the mountains. You even cross a bridge to the other side of the river at one stage! The incline does also get a bit steeper in places, but the route is so beautiful you hardly notice.

Don't forget to look up. The glacier covered Corvatsch peak is straight ahead, and mid-summer offers a surprising winter feel to this outdoor wonderland.

I ran the route as a simple out-and-back; the mountains gave me little other option, though it is possible to do a circular route if you don't mind a fairly serious mountain climb. The range is at its lowest at Fuocla Surlej on the town side of Corvatsch (still 2755m mind!), with the decent towards Silvaplana. If your fit and up for a challenge, this has got to be a pretty spectacular route. The Scott Engadin St. Moritz Mountainbike Map suggests doing this route in the opposite direction. It rates the route as 'technically demanding over long distances'.

Enjoy!

St Mortiz Trails Part 4: Down the Valley

noreply@blogger.com (Eliz2) — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 16:52:00 +0000

Celerina, Samedan, Bever and beyond

Down stream from St. Mortiz, the valley widens to offer an almost endless choice of flat trails in the Celerina/Samedan area. This is where I've been happily doing my long Sunday runs, and while not as pretty as the lakes around St. Moritz - it's a very high standard to be fair - the area offers nice variety and, apart from the final climb back to the town, miles and miles of perfectly flat ground.

From St. Moritz simply head towards Celerina via any one of a number of routes. You can run via the forest and Lej da Staz to Celerina station as described in my best of East of the Lake post; head all the way to Pontresina and back the Flax valley towards Celerina; take Via Meistra from St Moritz Dorf (past the Bobsleigh course), or simply down the path beside Via Grevas from the lake.

Once you approach Celerina you can simply take any of the marked paths down the valley away from St Moritz. The valley is littered with trails, all running practically parallel to each other, with paths and bridges connecting them at various points.

The main paths are alongside the two main rivers - The En/Inn which flows from St Moritz, and the Flax, which flows from Pontresina. There are other paths alongside the various ponds and smaller tributaries in the area, along the edge of the mountains (particularly from Bever onwards) and a flat, surfaced path - used for inline skating - around the airport runway.

With mountains at either side of the valley, it's difficult to get lost, so just take a path in the right general direction, follow it to your heart's content, cross a bridge and head back via a different route.

Just remember to keep enough energy for the final wee climb back to the town!

...just a few more shots...

St Mortiz Trails Part 3: The Other Lakes

noreply@blogger.com (Eliz2) — Sat, 01 Oct 2016 13:47:00 +0000

Lej da Champfèr, Lej da Silvaplauna and Lej da Segl

While Lej da San Murezzan forms the focal point of the town and the path around it is a great starter running route, it is far from the only beautiful lake or flat running route in the area. For a whole new world of beauty and a great trail network, head roughly south west from St Moritz Bad along the edge of the river En valley, towards Champfèr.

As you approach Champfèr, you'll reach a footbridge across the river. You can choose to go left of the river from here, along the edge of the forest, or take the more open route on the Champfèr side of the river (or better still, take one route out and the other back. The route on the Champfèr side is marginally longer, and also wider and more level, though the route on the forest side is also very runnable, but slightly rocky as you reach Silvalpana/Surlej.

When you reach the bridge between Silvaplana/Surlej, cross the bridge, and take the path to the left (Surlej side) of Lej da Silvaplauna. There is a path at the Silvaplana side, which runs along by the kitesurfing and windsurfing centres, but ends at the campsite. The first section of the path is through open grassland, slightly above the level of the lake, but as it meets the forest it rejoins the lake edge. On a calm sunny morning, the vistas from here are particularly spectacular. On a windy Saturday afternoon, the lake will be a blaze of colour as windsurfers and kitesurfers get their weekly adrenaline rush.

At the far side of the lake, you'll reach Sils im Edigan/Segl. If you are going for a really long run, you can carry on through Sils/Segl and run alongside Lej da Segl to Maloja. Those of us with purely human qualities, however, will likely have reach our limits long before this point, and will have turned and headed back towards St Moritz - I have not comments to make on this section of the run; I simply didn't make it that far.

It's approximately 10km from St Moritz to Sils, and a further 6km to the far side of Lej da Segl. This is a mostly flat route, though you can add hills if you please - the forests to the south of the lakes provide plenty of opportunity to do so.

St Moritz Things to Do Part 3: Take in the Olympic Sites

noreply@blogger.com (Eliz2) — Fri, 30 Sep 2016 12:27:00 +0000

St Moritz hosted the Winter Olympics in 1928 and 1948 and is getting set to host the 2017 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships. It's difficult to avoid the excitement in the town surrounding next February's event - countdown clocks, posters, banners, that sort of thing - but sites and points of interest from the previous Olympics can also still be seen around the area.

The facilities which the town seems most proud of are the bob and skeleton routes used for the Olympics. When I first visited St Mortiz in 2010, I visited the start of these, acknowledged their existence, and thought nothing more of it. But when I spotted this guy (picture below) when taking the bus from St Moritz to Samedan, and realised how close it is to the road, I just had to see exactly where the course went. And so, on Sunday last, 501 days before the opening of the 2018 Games in ‎Pyeongchang,‎ I took a little trip down Winter Olympic history.

St Moritz and the Winter Olympics

St Moritz is the birthplace of resort holidays and one of the oldest ski resorts in the world. It hosted the second edition of the Winter Olympics in 1928 (Chamonix in France hosted the first) - which saw 464 athletes from 25 nations compete for 14 sets of medals in six sports - and again in 1948 when it's neutrality during World War II made it the ideal candidate and the existence of the 1928 facilities gave it a head start in the relatively short run-in period. This time, 669 participants from 28 countries competed for 22 sets of medals in alpine and Nordic skiing, bobsleigh and skeleton, figure skating, speed skating and ice hockey.

St. Moritz-Celerina Olympia Bobsleigh Run

Switzerland won 10 medals at the 1948 Games, including gold and silver in the two-man bobsleigh, and it is the bobsleigh run that forms one of the main remaining Olympic sites of interest. The track is constructed from scratch every year and is the only naturally refrigerated bobsleigh run in the world. It was first used in 1904, making it the world's oldest too.

Following the first snow in mid-late November, the skilled workers take three weeks to construct the track using about 15,000 cubic metres of snow and 7,000 cubic metres of water. Technology means that the construction has gotten somewhat easier over the years, but this is still a very labour intensive task. While the same track area is used each year, and great care is taken to level out the ground exactly, the natural construction means that there are minimal changes in the alignment from year to year - adding an extra skill element for the bobsleigh drivers.

This video gives you some idea of how, each winter, the summer route is turned into 'the largest ice sculpture in the world'.

There is also a great selection of photos showing track construction on the track's website.

During the summer months you can take a walk down the course and get some sense of what it might be like to ride the 1,722 metre track at more than 130 kph. The start is off Via Maistra, just beyond the Klum Hotel.

If you visit during the winter you can experience the run for yourself in a 4-man bob (with an experienced driver). But you might want to start saving now - the cost for this 75 second run is 250 CHF (about €225); that's more than €3 per adrenaline-filled second!

The Cresta Run

The Cresta skeleton course - one of the few tracks in the world dedicated solely to skeleton - can be accessed just across the road from the Bob Run (the junction entrance), though it's start (top) is a bit higher, close to the leaning tower and Cresta monument. It's finish is just beyond the finish of the bob run, close to the village of Celerina. Like the bob run, the Cresta Run is constructed freshly each year. It using the natural topography of the hill, and banks of earth as a buttress for iced packed snow.

The sport of skeleton originated and developed in the Graubünden region of Switzerland, and was featured on the Olympic programmes in both 1928 an 1948 - the only occasions it was contested until it was added permanently to the programme in 2002; the year in which women also first contested skeleton at Olympic level.

The run is owned and operated by the all-male St. Moritz Tobogganing Club (SMTC) created by British military officers in 1885. Women have been excluded from the course since the late 1920s, because of injuries sustained by female racers and the never proven belief that excessive sledding causes breast cancer. Women are sometimes, by invitation, allowed to race from the Junction start only. St. Moritz has hosted 22 World Bobsleigh/Skeleton Championships, but these races have been held on the bobsleigh course.

The Olympic Stadium and other sites

The Olympic Stadium - now a driving range and located close to the start of the bobsleigh run - hosted the opening and closing ceremonies for the Games, as well as the skating events. The stadium building is essentially unaltered since 1948 on the outside; internally it has been converted into residential apartments.

Nearby, the Klum Pavilion, which also played a role in the Olympic Games, is currently being restored and will be used for the medal presentation for the 2017 FIS World Championships.

The original Olympic ski jump (Olympiaschanze), which had been in use until 2006, was still in place when I visited in 2012. The original jump has since been taken down and the area is currently a construction site. According to the St Moritz website: 'The regular ski jump is being rebuilt (hill size 106 m), with the addition of a new training ski jump (67 m). Two jumps for younger skiers (47 m and 17 m) are also being renovated and fitted with mats for use in summer.'

Finally, the Olympic stone, which commemorates St. Moritz hosting the Games on two occasions and lists the medal winners from both Games, is located at Plazza Paracelsus 2, just off Via Mezdi, in St. Moritz Bad (by the swimming pool).

St Moritz Things to Do Part 2: Take Your Camera on a Little Walk

noreply@blogger.com (Eliz2) — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 07:36:00 +0000

St Moritz is not just one of the most beautiful places that I've been; it's also one of the most photogenic. Water and mountains both have the ability to look different every time you view them, and St Moritz has the perfect combination for an ever changing vista.

When out for my run in the chilly morning air, I had a feeling yesterday was going to be a special day. It was sunny like the previous two mornings had been, but the lake was like I'd never seen it before. Smooth as glass, it was reflecting the town and the mountains in almost perfect symmetry, just like I'd seen in other people's photos. Now, if only I could get this run finished, get showered and breakfasted, grab my camera and get back down before the clouds came out.

As you can see, I made it! I was confident I'd captured some dream shots as I made my way around the lake. Unlike other days, it never did cloud over, and I'm sure the mercury reached the high teens - much warmer than any other day I've been here. However, by the time I'd reached the far side of the lake, the wind had gotten up - the 'celebrated' Maloga winds, according to the Engadin St. Moritz guide, are typical of a sunny summer afternoon, and usually rise around midday - and, within seconds, the reflections had completely disappeared. The lake took on a completely different look, and as if they'd expected it, two sailing boats suddenly appeared.

But don't let a little bit of wind get in the way of a good shot! It's hard to believe this is the same lake as above.

And of course, it's not just the time of day that the vista changes with; theses two shots are taken from roughly the same sport, just at opposite ends of summer - the first was taken on my first visit in June 2012; the second yesterday (September 2016).

St Moritz's beauty has even inspired me to work out how to create panoramic shots. The lake is an obvious subject...

...though the panoramics are also pretty special from the top of the mountain!

Top spots to get some photos:

1. Anywhere by the lake, any time of day, any day of the year, but the sunny mornings, before the wind gets up, make even the most novice photographer look professional.

2. The mountains - the higher the better, and bright sunny days are best, but even the clouds make for interesting shots.

3. Lej de Staz, hidden in the forest east of St. Moritz, is a strangely mysterious place, and offers some interesting shots of water, trees, mountains and clouds

4. The forest trails also provide an interesting subject

But, basically, anywhere by the lakes, in the forests, up the mountains, or down the valley will provide beautiful photos. Be sure to pack your camera!

St Moritz Things to Do Part 1: Funicular and Cable Car to Piz Nair

noreply@blogger.com (Eliz2) — Wed, 21 Sep 2016 20:31:00 +0000

And ideally back down again!

Gifting myself an afternoon off training, I decided to make the most of another sunny afternoon and head to the top of the mountain. Piz Nair, at 3057m above sea level, was the destination, and the funicular and cable car were the mode of transport. The plan was to return to the town on foot. It would be all downhill; how difficult could it be?

Starting right in the heart of St Moritz Dorf (the posh part of town), the funicular takes an almost vertical route to Corviglia (2,486m), which from the lake seems like pretty much as high as you can go. The views from there are pretty amazing, and I was surprised to see so many other people up there, many of whom, it seemed, had arrived by bike. Fair play to them!

After snapping some snaps, and putting on an extra layer of clothing (it was pretty cool up there) I made my way to the cable car terminal, ready for the rid to the peak up ahead. It looked like a steep ride (and a rocky decent) but thankfully I'm not afraid of heights.

Only, as we approached that peak (which indecently, and scarily, will host the start of next February's World Downhill Skiing Championships), I realised we weren't stopping; we were going even higher! There was a further peak which I had missed in the clouds ahead.

The cable car stopped at 3022m; it was just a short, rocky hike from there to the very top. The views took my breath away - ok that was probably the altitude, but still, they were amazing!!!

Now for the decent! Yes, I was still going to tackle it on foot. I'd done the cable car. It was time to get a different perspective on things.

The first bit seemed ok, and surely it wasn't all going to be as rocky as it looked.

Right?

After all, this was a hiking route.

I could handle this.

Couldn't I?

Oh.

My.

Word.

The first 30 minutes of the decent was the single scariest thing I've ever done. There were bits, I kid you not, where I just sat on my bum and sort of shuffled down on all fours.

I now know why hikers carry those pole things!

On a couple of occasions I considered backing out and heading back to the top, but I knew that if I turned around and saw where I'd come from, I'd loose my nerve altogether.

This would all be over soon!

And eventually it was. I had made it to the bottom of the rocky peak, and was back on the wider tracks, no longer fearful of slipping over the edge.

But the hard work wasn't finished yet. There was still another 90 minutes or so of descending ahead. And even that was a lot steeper than it looked from above. An afternoon run would surely have been easier.

Am I happy I did it? Yes, absolutely!

Would I do it again? Hell, no!

And so, in summary, if you're in St Moritz and looking for something to do, absolutely take the funicular to Corviglia. I'd even suggest taking the cable car all the way to the top.

But, please, please, please take it back down again too.

Top tip: If you have a St Moritz Sport Elite Athlete Pass, be sure to show it at the ticket office along with your passport. You'll get yourself a nice discount!

St Moritz Trails Part 2: East of the Lake

noreply@blogger.com (Eliz2) — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 20:29:00 +0000

Aka Hostel - Forest - Staz - Celerina - Via Grevas loop

After a few days of cloudy skies, the sun finally shone on St Moritz this morning. And with it I was reminded of just how good the trails are around here, and how even if I was to stay for months I still wouldn't have explored them all.

Suitable powered on muesli (I am in Switzerland after all) and sunshine, I set off in an attempt to link two out-and-back routes I did on my last visit, and make a more interesting circle loop of the best bits of the forests east of the town.

Terming the route 'the best of', however, would do St Moritz a major disservice - I'm discovering new 'best bits' on every run and there appears to be no end to the surprises on offer - and so I've gone for the somewhat clunker title above.

This trail is approximately 8km long, depending on your starting point, but with lots of opportunities for add-on options throughout. It's more undulating than the lake loop, with a long gradual drag back from Celerina, but is still not anything approaching mountainous. On the forest section you can keep to the wider paths (as I describe here), or take the more technical routes for added difficulty and variety.

Starting anywhere in town, head to the forest entrance at the end of Via Surpunt, just beyond the Youth Hostel. Take the wider main forest path as it twists and turns through the forest towards Lej da Staz, a pretty lake in the middle of the forest.

Continue past the lake heading north (slightly left at the far end), again sticking to the main path, down the hill until you come to an intersection. Take the route to the left and continue, mostly downhill, until you reach the edge of the forest. Once Celerina (and the pretty San Gian church) is in sight, take a left turn just before exiting the forest along a narrower path. This path will lead to the forest edge again after a few 100 metres, not far from Celerina/Schlarigna station.

Leave the forest, cross the railway line and take the path alongside it back towards St Moritz. This section is gradually uphill the whole way back, and follows the river and Via Grevas back to the town.

Once you spot the railway bridge, you'll know that the climb is almost done, and soon enough you'll you'll be back at Lej da San Mrezzan and some flat ground.

St Moritz Trails Part 1: The Lake

noreply@blogger.com (Eliz2) — Sun, 18 Sep 2016 20:35:00 +0000

After a break of two and a half years, I'm finally back training at altitude, and back blogging about my adventures. Over the course of this trip, I'll be sharing some of my favourite trails in St Moritz and ideas of what to do between training. I'll kick things off with a fairly obvious trail route - the lake loop - and the one on which I kick-started my training this morning.

Lej da San Murezzan (St Moritz Lake) dominates the resort and is a good starting point for many of the town's best runs. It is also the flattest place to run (though, despite being a ski resort, it is relatively easy to avoid the mountainous routes in St Moritz) and, since it more or less follows the water's edge the whole way round, it's impossible to get lost on this one.

The surface, smooth and essentially flat, is approximately 3.5km long. Approximately half it's length is asphalt, while the other half is packed gravel. It's a great place for your first run in St Moritz, and will help you get your bearings. It also offers some of the most beautiful views of the town, and is equally interesting in the clockwise and anticlockwise direction.

The town's track is located just metres from the lake, in St Moritz Bad, and so the lake trail makes an ideal place for a warm up/cool down run.

The Art of Cross Country

noreply@blogger.com (Eliz2) — Sat, 19 Dec 2015 20:53:00 +0000

You could say that cross country is like a box of chocolates. You never know what you’re going to get next. And that’s the beauty of it.

One week you’re floating over a perfectly dry, pancake flat course, the next you’re struggling up hills and through mud, running into that sort of horizontal wind and rain that seems to save itself for race day.

Often the same venue can throw up completely different experiences two weeks in a row, just to keep things interesting.

At a track race, the smallest unexpected detail - an outside waterjump, finishing in the back straight, no lap times being called out, 30 minute call ups, an official reminding you (still without a valid reason why) to tuck in your singlet, wider than normal bends, flowers in front of the water jump, toilets without toilet paper - can mess with the mind, and cause already simmering pre-race anxieties to boil over.

But at cross country, anything goes.

Hell toilets, never mind toilet paper, are an unexpected luxury!

Cross country is an art form

Summer will be soon enough for carefully timed warm-up routines, racing the clock, analysing progress, cursing headwinds, pollen counts and humidity (often all on the one day) and, when everything goes according to plan, sitting and kicking. Summer will be for formulas and for measuring.

Winter is for conquering hills, measuring performance purely by how much (or little) you had left in the tank, and gently smiling to yourself when, on the last lap, you finally work out the best route through that energy-sapping muddy patch. And if you think you’re going to just sit and kick, you’ll not just risk the result you hoped for, but also much of the fun.

It’s the lack of lap times, kilometre markers, and any form of measurement other than finishing position that makes cross country so enjoyable.

Winter is when the science of running gives way to the art of running!

Twenty-three years of experience

Twenty-three seasons of running cross country has taken me to 22 of Ireland’s beautiful counties, across much of England and Scotland, and occasionally to mainland Europe; it’s swallowed two of my spikes, never to be seen again; it’s taken a toe nail; and it’s blocked up my parent’s bathroom sink on numerous occasions.

My memories of running in the early days are dominated by images of four or five of us cramming into my mum’s less than reliable car, carefully placing school books into the back window – where they would inevitably remain for the weekend – and heading to the brown fields of Claremorris, Cavan or Stranorlar.

Sometimes we’d have had accommodation booked in advance, more often than not we didn’t, but we’d always hope that wherever we ended up staying the night before a race would also happen to accommodate some young male runners from Cork or Donegal or Belfast, or such exotic lands.

And we’d laugh a lot. Those weekends were full of laughter.

And now…

And despite those wonderful memories, I’ve probably enjoyed cross country more in the past year or two than I ever have. And I plan to continue to do so for a few years yet.

On the good days I’m reminded how much I enjoy it. How fresh, wet mud doesn’t actually hurt, how much enjoyment can be gained from simply reaching the top of a hill, and how, even on the days when I’m the only one from my club or county, this is a team sport. We are all in this together.

And on the bad days I’m reminded how wet socks and hardened mud don’t make for a pleasant journey home.

At last season’s English National, I spent the final kilometre of a gruelling race, where the main challenge was simply staying upright, locked in battle with a fellow mud warrior. We ran together for a while, then I got dropped only to come back on the next muddy patch where I went past my rival, she rallied and dropped me, and then, in the final metres, I came past her one final time. No words were spoken when we crossed the line. We simply turned to each other, shook hands and laughed. We’d both scraped into the top 60!

Like any other form of art, not every race is going to be a masterpiece. You make a big deal of the good runs, mentally recreating them on an almost daily basis, and remind yourself that the bad results don’t matter. And on the bad days, as well as the good, you’re allowed to laugh.

Occasionally people ask me why I still do it. For me it’s simple. My Mona Lisa may have been created nearly fifteen years ago, but there are still goals to achieve. And I’d like to think that, like da Vinci, I have more than one great painting in me.

And I’ve never raced in Wicklow. I’d like to race in Wicklow!

Disclaimer:

A small bit of artistic license has been used in writing this piece. My mum’s car only broke down on two occasions, there may have been a small bit of green in Cavan before we started, and though I’ve pulled quite a bit of grass and mud from the plughole, I’ve never actually blocked the sink.

And occasionally, just occasionally, you know you’ve ran well, not by how far over you’re bent or how long it takes to catch your breath, but by how easy it felt; because truly great artwork is created effortlessly.

The Africa the media never shows you

noreply@blogger.com (Eliz2) — Tue, 07 Jul 2015 21:11:00 +0000

The hashtag #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou has been making waves on Twitter and Instagram during the last week. Started by some young Africans wishing to breakdown the stereotype - war, famine, poverty - often associated with their continent. Beautiful pictures of African landscape, buildings and poeple are being shared via social media, and offer a wonderful alternative to the 'Poverty Porn' that we have come to associate with sub-Saharan Africa.

I've been to Africa ten times now and love the place. But if it wasn't for running and altitude training, I might never have made it to this most beautiful of continents. Each time I've visited, I've been bowled over by how green everywhere is, how friendly the people are, and, in some cases, how advanced things are. Each country I've visited has sprung up new surprises, and I never cease to be amazed by the beauty of the people and their surroundings. And I've just touched the surface. I can't wait to explore some more in the future.

Here are some of my examples of #TheAfricaTheMediaNeverShowsYou from Kenya, Ethiopia, Morocco and South Africa.

And finally, my personal favourite.

Africa doesn't need our pity, but it definitely deserves our curiosity! Don't be afraid to explore it for yourself.

Guest Blog: Sara Treacy's Best of Font Romeu

noreply@blogger.com (Eliz2) — Mon, 25 May 2015 15:21:00 +0000

European Team Cross Country medallist and Irish Steeplechase Champion Sara Treacy normally spends her busy days balancing work as a doctor with training and competing at the highest level. Recently she spent three weeks at altitude in Font Romeu, and with a relative abundance of time on her hands, she had took the opportunity to explore the best that the beautiful Pyrenees resort town has to offer. In this post Sara shares her thoughts on the best places to run, eat and play, as well as the best places to relax between training sessions.

Hi! This is my first blog post, so bear with me please people! I’ve just arrived home after almost 3 weeks in Font Romeu breathing scant air, training hard and ‘living the dream’! My second time in the area, I find it a perfect combination for body and soul. Below I’ve included some of my favourite places to eat, drink and relax, and of course trails I love to run.

View of the valley below Font Romeu from Residence le Domaine de Castella where I stayed for the first part of the trip.

A small skiing village nestled into the culturally rich Catalonian mountain region of Cerdagne, Font Romeu is a popular destination both in winter and summer. If your training camp is doubling as your holidays from work or college and you’re bringing your other half or family, even in the ‘off-season’, it offers more than just the physiological benefits of altitude. The combination of track, gyms and idyllic running routes make it an ideal training venue.

Beautiful views make the hard work a little bit easier. Callum rented a bike form Intersport in Les Angles to accompany me around the lake (and take the odd photo).

On easier days I enjoyed immersing myself in the cultural delights the region has to offer, from the petite boulangeries to the imposing Fort Liberia in historic Villefranche or a trip to the natural hot sulphur baths at St. Thomas to help the legs recover. On the harder training days I would just sit and sip coffee to prepare for run number two, enjoying the white-topped mountain views on the terrace of ‘Chuppa café’.

Fort Liberia in historic Villefrance

After several weeks of work-related stress, it took only a couple of days to settle fully into the slow even kilter that is the athlete’s life in Font Romeu. A typical day involved rolling out of bed to have a small breakfast and that essential cup of tea, before meeting the group to drive to one of the many trails in the area for our morning run, or to Lac de Matemale or the track for a session.

Olympian, Paralympian, future champions... all 'enjoying' training at Lac de Matemale

Job done and the return journey often involved a quick stop for an almond croissant or, one of my highlights, lunch on the sunny terrace of ‘L’Ermitage’ to debrief and recharge after Bud’s most recent concoction of 4s, 6s and Ks. I love the buzz of a busy track and groups of athletes from a mixture of countries working around each with cheers of ‘allez, allez’ ringing out around the track from complete strangers as you struggle to keep on pace, body crying out for oxygen.

Enjoying coffee, discussing training, and making silly faces at L'Ermitage

After lunch, hours were spent as we saw fit, studying, shopping, napping or doing bits of work while sipping speciality tea in Salon de thè l'Après-Ski. It did not take long for the locals to become accustomed to us runners, and my rusty French enquiries about the area were often met with polite enquires about what event I did. I was informed that the Olympic Champion Steeplechaser had been training here recently; nice to know I’m in such good company!

The obligatory photo of food! This was me being all cultural on the first night at Restaurant Le Chaumiere. Everyone else had delicious looking steak

We were blessed with great weather most of the time, fresh mornings and blazing afternoon sun with a cooling wind. This area has an average of 300 sunny days a year (according to the local solar furnace in Odeilla), so when it’s not snowing, the chances are that you’ll have a few nice ones! Late afternoon would find me applying suncream, music blaring, ready for drills on the balcony of the apartment complex. Then the weary legs were coaxed back on the mountain trails for our easy evening run, followed by core and stretching.

Another day, another beautiful trail!

This was my favourite time of the day to explore new trails; main training done for the day I could run relaxed and easy, soaking up the scenery and the smell of pine. Possibly my favourite trail is still within running distance of the village, just a few minutes from Collette Besson gym. It starts off as a wide path with rolling hills and emerges by the picturesque wooden chalets on the edge of Bolquere village. You can follow the little yellow signs for ‘Étang du Ticou’ which will bring you to a small pond and wooded picnic area. I like this trail for several reasons: its close, the surface is good underfoot and on a late run on more than one tranquil evening, I happened upon young deer out to graze or a fox to hunt on this path.

The beautiful Étang du Ticou

Another trail worth exploring if you have a car is up in the mountains on the far side of the valley. With stunning views, this gem of a trail was discovered at the end of the trip, and needs further exploration! Beware, however, there is a nearby military testing zone. Look out for signs with ‘DANGER DU MORT’ to avoid taking the the wrong road!

Start of the trails at Capcir Nordic ski area

There was a lot to do in Font Romeu and the surrounding area. We attempted a barbecue at Lac de Bouillouses, which went something along the lines of: 'weather? - check, location? - check, fire? - check, food? - check, cooking utensils? - ah sh1t!!!

There are lots of adventure activities, a high ropes course at Parc des Adventure just on the edge of the town, and an animal park (Parc des Animaux), near Les Angles. Unfortunately I missed that trip as I was trying to catch up on some work.

Our attempt at barbecuing failed due to lack of one very important item.

Parts of Lac de Bouillouses, the first reservoir on the River Tet, which winds through the valley to Villefranche and beyond, were still frozen.

At the end of my three weeks I was sad to be going home, but I felt mentally rested, fit and eager to attack the track season ahead. The return journey to Perpignan passed uneventfully on the 1 euro bus, the only catch being that the shuttle to the airport is a ten minute walk from the bus stop, so we cheated and took a taxi with our luggage. We arrived at the airport to discover the flight was delayed by 5 hours, so we checked in our luggage and my boyfriend and I got the shuttle back into town and spent the day exploring Perpignan, which, as it turns out, is a charming little city. I’d highly recommend it! Thinking about it now, I’m already looking forward to my next trip!

Palais de Rois de Majorque in Perpignan

Discount booklet for the many historical and
cultural attractions in the area

Map with my Font Romeu best bits
Zoom out to view the points of interest outside of Font Romeu, and click on the tags to view more information.

And no blog post would be complete without a selfie!

Myself and Callum at the old medieval town in Villefranche

Thanks Sara for sharing this useful information, and best of luck with the season ahead.

For more information on altitude training in Font Romeu, check out these posts:
Q&A blog with Dean Cunningham, aspiring 10km runner who has trained in Font Romeu
Guest blog with young triathlete Sam Laidlow who studies and trains in Font Romeu
Guest blog from Irish International Steeplechaser Kerry O'Flaherty who owns an apartment in the town
My own updates from my research visit in 2010
Focus on altitude training options in France and Spain

All this information makes useful additions to the details on facilities, travel and other practicalities in Notes from Higher Grounds.

If you have been altitude training and have similar information to share about another venue, then please get in touch.

Altitude Training Options: Australia

noreply@blogger.com (Eliz2) — Sat, 21 Feb 2015 10:54:00 +0000

Australia is the flattest continent and is not particularly well known for its mountains However, there a few ski resorts at or slightly above 1,600m in the more mountainous parts of Victoria and New South Wales. The southern hemisphere summer, and early track season makes it an attractive training destination for Europeans. Falls Creek is the best known of Australia's altitude training destinations, and many top European runners, including Irish legend Sonia O'Sullivan, have trained there over the years.

Despite not having a track, Falls Creek is well equipped for high performance training. There are a variety of trails, with flat trails running alongside aqueducts, and more challenging routes crossing the surrounding hills and valleys. The views are always spectacular, and the resort peaceful, if somewhat isolated.

There is a small gym in the town, lots of self catering accommodation, and a few friendly eating establishments.

Falls Creek is a popular refreshment stop among cyclists making their way around the 230 km Bogong Alpine Way or recovering form the uphill ride from Mount Beauty.

Falls Creek is also a great spot for mountain biking and a number of purpose-built mountain bike courses have recently been opened in the resort.

Mount Buller (Victoria; 1,600m), Charlotte Pass (New South Wales; 1,837m) and Mount Hotham (Victoria; 1,861m) are some of the other options available.

Falls Creek is just one of 15 venues detailed in Notes from Higher Grounds: An Altitude Training Guide for Endurance Athletes. The book, which includes photos, maps, trail details, travel information and lots of useful advice is available via Amazon.

Altitude Training Options: Mexico

noreply@blogger.com (Eliz2) — Sat, 14 Feb 2015 16:12:00 +0000

Mexico is a large country stretching from the southern border of the US down to central America. While the country's tourism is centred around it's seaside resorts, a large portion of the country is actually situated above 1,500m of altitude. Two major mountain ranges - the Sierra Madre Oriental and the Sierra Madre Occidental - run practically the full length of the country, and the elevated plateau that links them contains many places with potential for altitude training. San Luis Potosi and Mexico City are the most used of these.

San Luis Potosi, a city of approximately 1 million people, has an altitude of 1,860 metres. It's altitude training offer is based largely around Centro Deportivo La Loma. La Loma is particularly well equipped for swimmers, and has hosted swim teams from across the world. It also has facilities for athletics, tennis, boxing, judo and other martial arts, squash, volleyball, basketball and Olympic handball.

Guests stay in an adjacent apartment block, and three meals are included in the daily rate.

Parque Tangamanga I, a large park on the southern of the city, offers some running options, but those looking to clock up high mileage may need to travel to some of the rural areas outside the city.

Mexico City is one of the largest cities in the world. The sprawling city has an estimated population of approximately 9 million (city proper; metropolitan area population of more than 21 million), and due to this, along with geographical factors, has major air pollution issues. If you can see beyond the crowds, the pollution and the inevitable traffic jams, Mexico City has a lot to offer in terms of altitude training.

Mexico City is a particularly good place to visit if you want to combine a holiday or cultural trip with some running. A number of the city's parks are suitable for running, and the large forested areas on the south west of the city make welcome relief from the city. There is always something to see or do, cost of living is low, and though speaking Spanish is an advantage, it is less important than in other parts of Mexico.

Toluca de Lerdo, at 2,680m above sea level, is the highest city in North America, and is also a well known altitude training spot. It is situated just 66 kilometres from the capital, but is considerably less polluted, cooler, and less crowded than Mexico City. Some of the best training spots on the south west of Mexico City are also accessible from Toluca.

Mexico City and San Luis Potosi are just two of the fifteen venues featured in Notes from Higher Grounds: An Altitude Training Guide for Endurance Athletes. The book can be purchased through Amazon for just £20.

A novice's guide to self publishing

noreply@blogger.com (Eliz2) — Fri, 06 Feb 2015 20:37:00 +0000

I've been sharing my relative wisdom recently with a few individuals who are thinking about going down the self publishing route. The process of writing, editing and publishing a book was probably the most ambitious project that I ever embarked on, but also one of the more enjoyable experiences I've ever had. It was a very steep learning curve, and of course there are a few things that I would do differently, but, for me, self publishing was undoubtedly the best way to make Notes from Higher Grounds a reality.

It's just over a year ago since I picked up the first copies of my first book from the printers. In this post I'll share my experiences in getting to that point, and give some advice to those setting out on the book writing process.

1. Is self-publishing the best option for you?

Every aspiring writer will have a few options open to them. The best option for you will depend on the type of book you're writing (fiction or non-fiction), who your target audience is and how far and wide they are likely to be spread, your skills and abilities, and your ambitions for the book. Self-publishing gives you considerably more freedom in relation to what you can include, and how you lay out the book, but you must remember the additional work involved in the writing, editing, design and publicity stages of the self publishing process, compared with writing for a publisher.

Money does come into it, but that shouldn't be your only consideration. If the quality of the book is important to you, you should also consider the skills you already have, and those you feel comfortable in picking up along the way.

I had a very clear idea of how I wanted the book to look from the very beginning and felt that there were things that I wanted to include which may not sit well with a publisher. I also felt that with such a niche market, I was very unlikely to get the backing of a traditional publisher. Full colour photos form a key part of my finished product and, therefore, print-on-demand type publishing was never going to be an option (as each copy would cost far too much to publish). I knew that I could pick up the design skills that I needed along the way, and relished the challenge that came with self-publishing. I never set about writing the book to make money, and it was always going to be more about the journey and the destination; though the destination was very pleasant indeed.

In reality, there is nothing that a publisher would do that you can't do as a self-publisher. However, the contacts and skills of an experienced publisher can be invaluable. Consider all your options, especially the print-on-demand and other less traditional forms of publishing.

2. Everything takes longer than you think

Because I was doing everything myself, - writing, fact checking, layout, editing, images and illustrations, cover design and publishing - there was quite a lot of work to get through, and quite a lot to learn along the way. While I wouldn't like to admit that I underestimated the work involved, there were definitely times when I forgot that I was doing the work of 5 or 6 people. When I'd finished writing what I wanted to write, I was only about halfway through the whole process. The layout and editing in particular took a lot longer than I expected.

Try not to underestimate the work involved, and consider the progress that you're making rather than how much you have left to do.

3. Start editing early

I spent a lot of time deciding whether I should write 'euro' or 'euros' (or indeed 'Euro'), whether or not 'check-in' should have a hyphen, and if the past tense of 'dream' was 'dreamed' or 'dreamt'. Of course, any of these would have been correct; I just had to make a decision and keep it consistent throughout. In the end, I put together a spreadsheet detailing each of my decisions, which was a useful reference when I came to make similar decisions, or to doublecheck what I'd decided, and it will be a great starting point for my next book. In hindsight I would have started this spreadsheet at the very beginning, and included any word that I was unsure of right from the start.

Two very useful books, particularly if you decided to use Oxford English, are the New Oxford Dictionary for Writers and Editors and New Hart's Rules. I found these books invaluable, and would strongly recommend that any new writer invests in a copy of each. The Oxford online Dictionary was also very helpful and Perfect Punctuation has helped solve some of my punctuation confusion.

Since finishing the book, I have started a Proofreading and Copy Editing course with the Writers Bureau which I am finding invaluable. I am so much more aware of the idiosyncrasies of the English spelling, grammar and punctuation than I was before.

4. Use social media

I have found social media a useful way to network, but I do find myself spending too much time on it. I set up my blog when I started the project, and the bits that I was writing all along were very useful when it came to put the book together. In fact, I already had about 10,000 words written without realising it. Knowing that people were reading about my experiences, and enjoying what I had to say, gave me a lot of confidence when it came to write the book. I set up my website quite soon afterwards, and though it doesn't change much, embedding the blog into it means that I have relatively new material on there on a regular basis.

I also set up a twitter account at an early stage and had grown a considerable audience long before the book was published. I have had real sales through Twitter, as well as offers of support from other camps. I am still undecided about whether I should tweet as myself, or as my project. My account is Altitude Training Camps, my handle is @egansadventures (which came from my blog title: Egan's Altitude Adventures), and I have included my name in my biog. But there are advantages and disadvantages to this. Sometimes people that I know can't find me, but using the brand does keep me focused on the purpose of my account. While I originally only used Twitter from the altitude perspective, I have recently connected with the self publishing world, which as an independent author, working on my own, is something that I have found invaluable, and wish I'd done sooner.

I didn't set up my Facebook page until the book was published; having never used Facebook for personal purposes, I was a little uncomfortable with using it. I found it a little easier to promote/grow my page once I actually had a finished product. What I would say is that you should set up a 'Page', rather than a 'Profile', when promoting anything on Facebook. Though the page is linked to your personal profile, nobody viewing the page knows that (though you can invite your friends to 'like' your page), and you don't have to be active on your profile to run a successful page. Embedding a Facebook feed into your website is another way to keep your web content fresh.

I toyed with the idea of using Pinterest, and Instragram would probably have been useful during my travels (but didn't really exist then - how quickly the social media world is evolving!). I used LinkedIn to let everybody know when the book was published, but apart from that have found it of minimal benefit for this project. I have a Google+ profile, but this is not something that I have invested too much time into. I would say that Twitter and Facebook are definitely the big players, and would recommend focusing on them before spending time on any other form of social media.

The photos that I took along the way have been invaluable, not only in the book itself, but in the promotion work that I have done alongside it. I took thousands of photos, and captured almost every moment of the research phase. Some video footage would have been a great addition.

4. Start a distribution list early

As you work through the writing process, you will come up with ideas of where you can promote it. By the time you're ready to distribute your press release, you'll have forgotten all the great ideas you had along the way. Start a spreadsheet and start to jot down all your contacts and potential contacts as you think of them.

5. Don't stress about the actual publishing step

Publishing a book is actually very simple. Once you know when you're going to publish your book, how long it's going to be, and a few other details, you apply and pay for a bunch of ISBNs from Nielsen. They'll then email you the numbers, and if you're printer is worth their salt, they'll be able to turn it into a barcode for the back of your book. The information that you submit to Nielsen will automatically be added to book databases such as Amazon. That's pretty much all that's involved in the publishing phase, and it will take a couple of weeks at the very longest. Once published, you'll need to send a copy of your book to a couple of libraries.

5. Organise a launch event

The biggest single mistake that I made was not having a launch event. I was unsure where or when would be best - as I thought that I my target audience was widely distributed. The timing of publishing (a couple of days before Christmas) didn't help, but in the end I just ended up not having an event. I have since been surprised by the amount of support I have got locally, and though the people of Wexford weren't my main target, a local launch event would have worked well. The event doesn't have to be big, or cost a lot, but it will definitely help you spread the word.

Some other basics

Printed books at zero-rated for VAT purposes in both Ireland and the UK. Printing of books is also zero-rated, but other aspects of the publishing process are not (ISBNs, promotional materials - including printing of flyers, Amazon selling fees, packaging etc.). Standard postage stamps do not have VAT applied, though courier services do apply VAT. E-books are not zero-rated for VAT. You will not need to register for VAT unless you are likely to exceed the relevant annual income threshold for your government.

I found the following books useful in the editing process.

The following books are also part of my library and were useful reference points. Unfortunately, many of the self-publishing books are written in the US, and hence some parts are not applicable. The first book is UK-based.

Altitude Training Options: Kenya

noreply@blogger.com (Eliz2) — Thu, 01 Jan 2015 00:01:00 +0000

Kenya is our featured country for January. This is a great time of year to visit the East African country, either to prepare for international success, or to achieve your own small running and fitness goals, and later this month numerous British Olympians and Olympic hopefuls will we heading out on one of their intensive winter training stints in the Rift Valley town of Iten.

As those who have read my book, or followed my blog, will well know, I have been to Kenya six times (and am well overdue a trip). To say that I love the place would be an understatement. It is probably the closest I have found to a home from home. The Rift Valley is, in my view, second only to the Grand Canyon, in terms of awe inspiring natural beauty, and sitting on it's edge is one of the most relaxing activities one can engage in. The people are the friendliest I've come across, and the laid-back atmosphere has yet to fail in rejuvenating me or recalibrate for me what is important in life. Even if I wasn't a runner, I think I would find Iten and the surrounding Rift Valley region a great place to visit.

But it is the opportunities that it offers runners, that is the real jewel in Kenya's tourism crown. The altitude, above 2000m, is perfect for altitude training. The climate too is almost perfect, and apart from a few weeks of heavy rain, training is possible here almost year round. The locals may complain about the cold in the winter months, but daytime temperatures rarely drop below 20 degrees, and with low humidity (as a result of the altitude), the weather is rarely unpleasant for training.

Most roads are unsealed, undulating dirt roads that meander through the countryside, and even the surfaced main roads have dirt trails alongside them, so there is no shortage of forgiving surfaces on which to complete high volumes of training. Many of the tracks are dirt too, though Lornah Kiplagat has recently opened a Tartan track in Iten for guests of her world famous HATC.

Training facilities are improving all the time, and since it opened in 1999, Lornah Kiplagat's HATC has continued to develop to meet the needs of its foreign guests. It does, however, maintain a distintively African feel, and guests have the opportunity to sample Kenyan food and way of life in relative comfort. There is an outdoor swimming pool and a well equipped gym at the camp.

While Lornah's place is well established and well known, on the other side of Eldoret (next to Eldoret Airport) is the Rift Valley Resource Centre, a relative newcomer to Kenya's altitude training offer. This centre, located in Mosoriot, is open to students, athletes and community volunteers. Lel, Cheryiout and Rotich are among the athletes who have trained on the nearby trails. The centre has links with a number of local schools, health clinics and community projects, and visitors may have the opportunity to volunteer during their stay.

Further information on training in Kenya can be viewed on some of my previous posts, including the following summary post about Training in Kenya, and these reports from my visit in 2010: This is Kenya and Jambo Sana.

Iten, Kenya is just one of the venues featured in Notes from Higher Grounds: An Altitude Training Guide for Endurance Athletes. Other training sites in Kenya also receive a mention.

Last Minute Christmas Gift Ideas for Runners

noreply@blogger.com (Eliz2) — Tue, 16 Dec 2014 12:33:00 +0000

Those of you who've read my book, or followed my blog from the beginning will know that I've got a little bit of an obsession with books. And I'm mad into that running malarkey! And Christmas is fast approaching. With that in mind, this post is all about running books and related gifts that you can buy for the runner in your life, or, of course, for yourself.

5. Town of Runners (DVD; Jerry Rothwell)

I went along to watch this movie in London when it was released in 2012, and was instantly reminded of the beauty of Ethiopia. The documentary tracks the progress of a group of young athletes from Bekoji, Ethiopia - the town which has produced such distance running legends as Kenenisa Bekele and Tirunesh Dibaba - and portrays some of the difficulties encountered by those wishing to follow in the footsteps of their heroes. Ethiopia is beautiful, Ethiopian running is beautiful, and this story will, no doubt, have you wanting to visit the East African highlands.

4. Wild Running: 150 Great Adventures on the Trails and Fells of Britain (Jen Benson and Sim Benson)

This is a guidebook for those who dream of exploring Britain's forest, mountain and coastal trails. It includes 150 hand-picked runs, chosen for their sensational beauty and simple navigation, for those looking for a relaxed, scenic run, or a 'hard-as-nails' challenge. Route maps, photographs and trail descriptions are included, along with information on safety and training advice. Ideal gift for anybody who enjoys running off-road.

3. From Last to First (Charlie Spedding)

There are far too many running autobiographies to mention, and to be honest, I was starting to feel that once you read one, you'd read them all. That was until I read this simple, yet inspiring and useful book. In telling his life story, Spedding shares useful tips and advice, and the alternative approach to autobiography will have inspired to train like never before.

2. Believe Training Journal (Lauren Fleshman and Roisin McGettigan-Dumas)

This is a great gift for any female runner. The year-long journal, written by two professional athletes who have been there and done that, inspires and educates, covering an important aspect of training each month - from goal setting and setbacks to nutrition and body image. The journal isn't dates, so can be used at any time of the year, but what better time to get stuck in than when the new year begins?

1. Notes from Higher Grounds (Elizabeth Egan - yes that's me!)

It would be a bit daft for me to write a blog about running books and gifts and not put my own publication in the number 1 spot. This book is all about altitude training destinations; it is a sort of travel guide for runners, but isn't just for serious athletes. Anybody that has ever dreamed of training with the Kenyans, or running along endless mountain trails will love this book. I was whole-heartedly passionate about this project from the very beginning, and four years later, published a book full of tips, photos and advice to inspire other athletes to use running to explore the world.

Altitude Training Options: South Africa and Lesotho

noreply@blogger.com (Eliz2) — Mon, 01 Dec 2014 08:00:00 +0000

South Africa’s diverse natural beauty and pleasant climate (most of the year) make it a popular tourist destination. It’s colourful political past also make it an interesting place to visit, and once you’ve saved for the airfare, travel is relatively cheap. Security and personal safety are, however, always a concern, and visitors should take reasonable precautions against crime, particularly in the large cities. Trips can be very rewarding, and facilities are generally better than elsewhere in Africa. Best of all, South Africa provides a great opportunity to train in a warm, pleasant climate during the northern hemisphere winter.

Potchefstroom
Potchefstroom is possibly the best known of the altitude training destinations in South Africa, but, while the facilities there are excellent, at 1,350m above sea level it is hardly high enough to initiate an altitude training response.

Dullstroom

The small tourist town of Dullstroom (2,080m), located east of Johannesburg, is a much less well known training spot, but has a greater variety of trails, is safer, has an excellent choice of holiday accommodation, and is considerably higher. The area is particularly beautiful, but lacks a track and other training facilities.

Photos from my trips to Potchefstroom and Dullstroom can be viewed here. There are blogs from South Africa here, here, here and here.

Pretoria
Somewhere that has excellent facilities for many sports is the High Performance Centre (www.hpc.co.za) at the University of Pretoria, where there is more than 70 hectares of land dedicated to sports facilities. The centre’s altitude is approximately 1,350m, with areas up to 1,500m within the city.

Johannesburg
Johannesburg also has some altitude training possibilities, though the city’s reputation for crime is a major turn-off for foreign visitors.

Lesotho
The entire area of Lesotho, a small country which is completely surrounded by South Africa, sits above 1,400 m of altitude. Covered with rugged mountains and spectacular scenery, Lesotho has a massive tourism potential, and authorities there are beginning to develop altitude training opportunities. AfriSki resort (3,030m) and Mohale Village (2,200m) are among the currently available options.

Adriaan Geldenhuys wrote a guest blog on altitude training in Lesotho for us in 2013.

Potchefstroom and Dullstroom are detailed in Notes from Higher Grounds: An Altitude Training Guide for Endurance Athletes. The book also contains further information on training options in Pretoria and Lesotho.

Altitude Training Options: Ethiopia

noreply@blogger.com (Eliz2) — Sat, 01 Nov 2014 08:00:00 +0000

Ethiopia is less well known as an altitude training destination than neighbouring Kenya, but the opening of excellent training facilities like Yaya Village and the success of the 2012 film Town of Runners have done much to increase the country’s appeal. Indeed, Ethiopia’s tourism potential across the board is considerably underdeveloped, and many are surprised to learn of the country’s beauty, cultural diversity, and friendlessness, and that Ethiopia has nine UNESCO world heritage sites!

Sululta, a small town just 11 kilometres north of Addis Ababa, is where many of the athletes who live in the capital carry out their daily training sessions. It is also home to Yaya Village, a purpose-built training resort which has attracted athletes from across the world since it opened in 2011. The eucalyptus forests, dirt roads, and grass clearings make for varied running terrain, and the recent opening of a synthetic track, owned by multiple Olympic Champion and world record holder Kenenisa Bekele, is a significant addition for those with a need for speed.

Those who want to get to the real heart grass roots Ethiopian distance running can visit Bekoji, aka Town of Runners, a small town south west of Addis Ababa. The town has produced athletes who, between them, have won 10 Olympic gold medals, broken more than a dozen world records, and won more than 30 world championship titles. Derartu Tulu, Kenenisa and Tariku Bekele, and Ejegayehu, Tirunesh and Genzebe Dibaba. Visitors to the town have the opportunity to watch the next generation of world-beaters train, and to meet the coach who guided the aforementioned stars in their earlier years.

The Great Ethiopian Run is the largest road race in Africa, and each year it attracts hundreds of overseas participants wishing to test themselves against the altitude, the heat, and more than 10,000 other runners and joggers.

Blogs from my 2010 visit include: Ethiopia by Picture, Farewell Africa...For Now, This is Ethiopia, Can I be a 'Funrunner' for a Day?, The Carb Queen is Dead and Gone, and Addis, while during my 2014 visit I blogged about meeting Haile Gebreselaise, wrote about my trip to Bekoji, and summarised my trip in a photo blog. Shane Benzie from Running Reborn wrote a guest piece about training in Bekoji for us in July, 2014.

Additional photos can be viewed here (2014 visit) and here (2010 visit).

More information on altitude training in Ethiopia, and details of how to arrange a trip there can be found in Notes from Higher Grounds: an Altitude Training Guide for Endurance Athletes.

Altitude Training Options: Rest of Europe

noreply@blogger.com (Eliz2) — Mon, 27 Oct 2014 07:30:00 +0000

Over the past few months, I have posted brief summaries of altitude training options in France and Andorra, Spain and the Canary Islands, and Switzerland. In this post, I look at some of the other options for altitude training across Europe and summarise the general pros and cons of training on the continent.

Cons

The mountainous areas of Continental Europe provide scenic training options; however, unlike the Rift Valley or the elevated Plateaus found in North America, these options are mountainous, and not particularly suited for those who don’t fancy running up and down the side of a mountain. Additionally, because of Europe’s distance from the equator, the snow-free season is relatively short, and, at best, stretches from April to September. Most of the available options are based in ski resorts, making them expensive compared to African or North American options. There are few options to live above 2,000m.

Pros

Despite the above drawbacks, there are many advantages to staying in Europe for altitude training. Budget airlines operate regular flights to most European cities, so getting there, at least, can be relatively cheap. Even Teneriffe, the furthest away the European options, is served by Ryanair flights from the UK and elsewhere. As mentioned previously, the European mountains are particularly beautiful, as tranquil glacial lakes contrast with the dramatic mountainous landscape. The pine forests, with well-groomed trails, that cover many of the mountainous regions, are ideal for care-free off-road running. There are endless opportunities for trail and fell runners, and trails are generally located close to the hotel and accommodation options. Europe also offers numerous ‘live high; train low’ options. There are few safety issues. And for track runners, getting out races on the European circuit is generally quite easy.

Some of the options available include

Turracher Hohe, Austria (1,763m) – A small ski resort approximately 60 km north-west of Klagenfurt.
Kuhtai, Austria (2,020m) – A well-equipped, visitor-friendly resort located just 40 km west of Innsbruck.
Rila Mountains, Bulgaria (2,050m) – An isolated area with a well-equipped sports facility specifically designed for altitude training.
Sestriere, Italy (2,035m) – A ski resort in the Italian Alps close to the French border, which boasts an athletics track, and is popular among road cyclists and racewalkers.
Livigno, Italy (1,816m) – A ski resort in Lomardy, close to the Swiss border, which is particularly appealing to mountain bikers.

If you know of any other altitude training hotspots in Europe, please let us know. We'd love to share with our community.

Altitude Training Options in Spain

noreply@blogger.com (Eliz2) — Sun, 26 Oct 2014 20:55:00 +0000

Sierra Nevada in southern Spain is one of Europe’s best known altitude training destinations alongside Font Romeu in France and St. Moritz in Switzerland, The excellent facilities at CAR Sierra Nevada make it a good option for a variety of sports, but the lack of suitable trails means that it doesn't attract the same number of distance runners as the other aforementioned options.

Another Spanish option is Tenerife in the Canary Islands. Mount Teide, an active volcano in the centre of the island, is particularly popular among professional cyclists. The weather and the ability to ‘live high; train low’ are among the draws. However, the expensive Parador Hotel de Canadas del Teide (2,146 m) is the only accommodation option at altitude, and it’s quite isolated from ‘civilisation’.

Sierra Nevada is one of the options featured in Notes from Higher Grounds: An Altitude Training Guide for Endurance Athletes, and further details of CAR Sierra Nevada can be found on www.carsierranevada.com.

Blog reports from my visit to Sierra Nevada can be found here and here.

Featured Country of the Month: Morocco

noreply@blogger.com (Eliz2) — Sat, 11 Oct 2014 17:00:00 +0000

Over the course of September we featured Morocco as an altitude training destination. The North African country has a rich distance running history, and though the reputation of many of their champions has been marred by less than exemplary doping records, there is no doubt but that the residents of Ifrane, the most popular of it’s altitude training destinations, appreciate and understand athletics.

Ifrane is a small town situated at 1665m of altitude in the Middle Atlas. It has a track, a good variety of trails, and other facilities for athletes. It’s functions as a university town, ski resort and as a tourist rest spot, means that there are good restaurants and some comfortable hotels and apartments, and cheap budget flights to Fez, less than an hour away, make it an easily accessible option for European athletes looking to try something a little bit different.

Large areas of the country are mountainous, and adventurous runners will find many more training options, particularly well suited to trail and fell runners, within the Middle and High Atlas Mountains. Earlier in September Howard Chambers wrote guest post for us on the relative merits of Imlil as an altitude training spot.

Ifrane one of 15 venues featured in my book Notes from Higher Grounds: An Altitude Training Guide for Distance Runners, which can be purchased on Amazon for just £20. Below is a sneak peak of the Ifrane chapter of the book.

Photos from my visit can be viewed on both Facebook and FlickR

And blog posts detailing my experiences in the town can be viewed here and here.