Source: {i}‘In the Footsteps of Phidipides. Newsletter of the Spartathlon Club of the British Isles’{ei}, Winter 2007
{b}Spartathlon September 2007{eb}
By William Sichel
In 2005 I completed the Spartathlon in a time of 33:14:20. This year I ran it in a time of 29:01:29 finishing in 9th place.
I have had a lot of questions asking of me “How did you knock more than 4 hours off your 2005 Spartathlon time?” I will try to summarize this for you:
1) {b}Conservative first attempt{eb}
I have always said that my 2005 time was a conservative performance.
I ran within myself making sure that I finished.
I wanted to have a good look at the course, not to get lost and learn as much as I could about the event.
I lost a lot of time at night on the mountain pass to Sangas; I was hopeless climbing up and down the goat track at night.
I was literally stiff with fear especially on the loose gravel going down the other side of the mountain.
2) {b}Improved nutrition{eb}
After 11 years of research and trial and revision. I have first time in my ultra running career discovered the right way for me to take on nutrition in ultras.
This knowledge gave me the confidence to start much faster than in 2005.
By the first major check point at 81km I was 53 minutes ahead of my 2005 time and I was feeling good despite the heat. I continued on my liquid only diet and was able to run strongly to the finish with no major dietary problems.
I carried small packets of my home-mixed of carbohydrate and electrolyte powder in my bum bag that I mixed with water that I got at the C/Ps in my hand-held 500ml bottle that I carried throughout the race.
3) {b}Good specific preparation{eb}
Alan Young a member of my support crew had organised a 3 day training camp in the Scottish Highlands based at Fort William for me.
This focused largely on off-road running during the day and at night time, by ascending and descending the Devil’s Staircase with a head torch.
This did improve my confidence and technique on the mountain section in Greece.
All the work in Scotland paid off as I covered the mountain section from Lyrkia to Nestani 90 minutes quicker than 2005.
Furthermore, as the chance of hot weather in Greece was high, I did nine, 45 minute training sessions in a sauna during the 3 weeks before the race so I was very well prepared for the heat.
4) {b}Having a crew and running faster{eb}
I simply ran faster for much of the course. The only section I covered slower than 2005 (by 6 minutes) was the last 22km down into Sparta. Partly because I was more tired this time and partly because this year it was a lot warmer than in 2005!
The crew support helped me by providing key information and detailed information about my split times which helps when you are trying for a good time. And also having a crew makes a big difference especially when things got difficult by giving me lots of encouragement at those crucial moments.
Put all that together and you have an improvement of 4 hours 13minutes.
5) {b}Can I do it quicker?{eb}
Yes I can, by improving my hill climbing. Having cooler weather and with my increased experience of the course.
{b}Summery of the High and Lows{eb}
The high point was coming down into Sparta, which was quickly followed by the low point of what seeming to be the never ending road to reach the finish!
There was a great atmosphere surrounding so many aspects of the race.
The enthusiastic crowds at the major check points, and the crowded line road to the finish at the Statute of King Leonidas
And with the encouragement from the helpers at the refreshment tables along the course some even remember me from 2005.
{i}Nawoord Martien Baars{ei}. Dank aan Koos Rademaker want hij stuurde mij de Newsletter toe en maakte me zo attent op o.a. bovenstaand artikel. Redacteur Peter Foxall en auteur William Sichel verleenden per kerende post toestemming om William’s artikel op Ultraned over te mogen nemen. Ook de begeleiders van William doen hun verslag in dit nummer: een uitgebreid verhaal van 9 pagina’s, eigenlijk verplichte kost voor wie ooit als helper naar de Spartathlon gaat. De tegenwoordig digitale {i}‘Newsletter of the Spartathlon Club of the British Isles’{ei} wordt een keer per jaar rondgemailed. Men kan zich laten opnemen op de e-mail-verzendlijst via een verzoek aan : foxallpeter (provider) yahoo.com