Northern Exposure.: 06/01/2013

After Scott's recent claim to fame I thought I had better get off my laurels!

"Votwo's Athlete of The Month"

Visit their newsletter to see me: votwo.co.uk/newsletter/june

and their website to view lots of interesting and challenging events:

votwo.co.uk

Votwo athlete of the month

Name: Keith Butterworth
Age: 55

Why did you start running?
I started cross-country running at school at about 13 to get out of football practice, which I hated, and after a while I started to enjoy running. I wasn't naturally fast but because I was the only one that ran regularly I was picked for the school team in the Lancashire Schools Cross-Country Championships and finished 3rd.

Do you do any other sports?
Yes triathlon, so I swim and cycle as well. I really enjoy being outdoors so I tend to rely on fitness gained from cycling and running to get me through swimming but I think swimming is great exercise especially for recovery, it helps gets the blood flowing through stiff/tired muscles without over stressing them and by using alternative muscles it produces a better balance to muscle groups. l also do quite a bit of fell-walking although as my primary interest is running this decreases if I am training for a big or important event.

What was your first race?
It was school cross country but after leaving school I lost interest for a few years, girls, motorbikes and beer sort of got in the way and it wasn't until 1985 that I did my first road race and then I did my first marathon, London, in 1987 and my first triathlon in the same year and my first Ironman in 1991.

What has been your most memorable race?
Nice Ironman 2005 and of course votwo's Atlantic Coast Challenge which I have completed 3 times. In 2011 I decided to carry a camera to photograph the event and still managed to finish 12th overall despite stopping to take over 200 photos along the way. I then wrote a blog on the ACC and subsequently the PCC which people who are entering for the first time find very useful in helping them to understand what it is like. The ACC has a great atmosphere and the organisers Ben & Pete in particular are very friendly and take care of everything, not forgetting Ben's Mum's home-made soup which at the end of each day makes it worth running the 78 miles for! If you want to read my ACC & PCC blog just go to http://keithbutterworth.blogspot.co.uk/ and at the right-hand side under 'Label' click on votwo (6).

What has been you biggest achievement?
Representing Great Britain twice, the first time was in the Long Course World Championships in Nice, France 2002 in the 45-49 age group. The second time was in the Short Course European Championships in Autun, France 2006. I had always dreamed of representing GB and while I thought if it was possible it would have had to be in a long distance event, I never thought I could achieve it in a short course event as well.

How do you train for a votwo challenge?
My favourite votwo events are the 3 day challenges and to finish one of these you need to be able to run comfortably for 3-4 hours, have good leg strength for the numerous ascents and descents found on the coastal paths and also to be able to run for 3 days consecutively.

I get some cross-over endurance benefit from cycling so I only do one long run every 10-14 days. I am a great believer in LSD (long slow distance) I start at 2 hrs and slowly build it up over several weeks to 4 hrs but at a very low heart rate 60%-80% of my working Heart Zone or 70%-85% of Max Heart Rate (and I try to keep to the lower half of these ranges). It is important to run slowly to ensure that you are developing the fat-burning engine. I don't often run for more than 4 hours in training it's long enough to get the body used to burning fat for fuel and any longer just increases the risk of injury or fatigue. The day before I do the long training run I do 40-45 mins of hill work so that I am used to running on tired/stiff legs and the day after the long run I go and do an hour of whatever I feel like just so that my body knows it doesn't get a day off after a long run, knowing you can do this is also a great psychological boost come the event.

I am also fortunate enough to live in the Pennines so I get plenty of off-road hill running. I am a member of Clayton-le Moors Harriers a club well known for its achievements in Fell-Running and I train once or twice a week with them.

How do you prepare yourself for a votwo challenge?
I believe preparation is vital to an enjoyable and successful challenge I am meticulous in the detail of preparing clothing, equipment and drinks. I take loads of gear with me to these events so that whatever the weather I have the appropriate clothing to be comfortable in on the day, and the extras mean that I always have alternative shoes and clothes to put on for day two and three. I am also very careful about what I eat and drink on these days and make full use of the massage facilities offered by votwo at these events.

What do you want to achieve, what is your goal?
To be able to enjoy my sport to a very ripe old age.

If you had one piece of advice to give what would it be?
I have always believed that consistency is the most important aspect of training and a good endurance base is developed over years of 'putting miles in the bank'. Oh and one other thing, don't put things off, i.e. one day I will row the Atlantic or climb Everest or run in my local 5k race, because one day there won't be another 'one day', SO DO IT NOW!

If you could run any race, what would it be?
votwo's The Oner, Marathon des Sables, Ultra-Trail de Mont Blanc, Ironman Austria..... but not on consecutive days!