No posting for a while largely as I have done nothing of note. We were supposed to be doing another Endurance Life CTS event last weekend. Mid week both knees were still tender, and I had decided to do the half anyway. By the weekend, with new ice age sweeping the country, and me still hobbling down hill, I came to the conclusion I really should pass on the race. So, somewhat reluctantly we bailed.
The knee problem appears to be a combination of itb and quad tightness. Stretching and the foam roller seem to be helping. Since they pain started I have done a few short runs, and up to about 45 mins to an hour is ok with no pain. A cold this week kiboshed even that, so I have a good period of minimal exercise which should hopefully have set me on course to heal properly. It's moot now from the running perspective as on Sunday (tomorrow! yay!) we are off for a week in Val D'isere. Very excited. We're doing a Snoworks off piste course. Have spent the afternoon digging out the ski gear. Unusually we're flying (we got the course as part of a Mark Warner package), whereas we usually drive. This means I have to think about what I want to take rather than just throwing all the kit I own in the back of the car.
I'm not taking the board on this trip as I can't face carrying that and a pair of skis through an airport. But I do want to hire one, so taking my boots. Once I had put my ski and board boots both in the case it was pretty much full. It really is so much easier with the car.
I got there in the end. All packed and ready now. An 0515 start tomorrow for the drive to Birmingham Airport. Am fitter than I have been for a while on the approach to the ski season, and also have been putting in a lot of time on the Cool Board (I can get up on it now without holding on to anything, which is pretty much as good as the people in the promotional youtube videos). Between fitness and balance I am hoping I transformed into some sort of ultimate mountain man We'll see.
Saturday 11 December 2010
Monday 22 November 2010
Broken
Ok, that's a bit of an exaggeration. Limping is more accurate. I have a sore left knee which I am attributing to my over tight quads. Last week was quite focussed on rest with beer featuring highly. I headed out on Saturday for a brisk hour to clear my head and the knee was fine. Wandering round town on Saturday afternoon it got very sore, and I was limping around on Sunday.
I woke up this morning, knee much better and promptly ran to work. Not bright. I got a medevac home (I called Ali and asked for a lift). Is now pretty tender. I have had knee twinges before from the result of my quads getting too tight (generally when doing a lot of cycling). I suspect the hill running and squats have tightened them up considerably - I tried the traditional quad stretch. My heel gets nowhere near my arse. I need to remember to stretch all muscle groups a bit more - I had tight hamstrings and focussed on that, then calf muscles so did calf stretches. Ho hum. Lesson learned, at least until the next time.
Aside from unfocussed shopping and drinking, the main activity of the weekend was Cool Boarding. Getting quite handy now. I can now do squats, peel and eat a tangerine and erm stand at one end on the ball with the board out in front of me.
Ok not youtube-able but a start. It is a great piece of kit.
I woke up this morning, knee much better and promptly ran to work. Not bright. I got a medevac home (I called Ali and asked for a lift). Is now pretty tender. I have had knee twinges before from the result of my quads getting too tight (generally when doing a lot of cycling). I suspect the hill running and squats have tightened them up considerably - I tried the traditional quad stretch. My heel gets nowhere near my arse. I need to remember to stretch all muscle groups a bit more - I had tight hamstrings and focussed on that, then calf muscles so did calf stretches. Ho hum. Lesson learned, at least until the next time.
Aside from unfocussed shopping and drinking, the main activity of the weekend was Cool Boarding. Getting quite handy now. I can now do squats, peel and eat a tangerine and erm stand at one end on the ball with the board out in front of me.
Ok not youtube-able but a start. It is a great piece of kit.
Tuesday 16 November 2010
Endurance Life CTS - Gower
I ran the second of the Endurance Life Coastal Trail Series marathons on Saturday, down on the Gower peninsula. The drive down on the Friday night nearly ended in disaster when we couldn't find anywhere open to eat (note to self: stock van with noodles), but luckily a small hotel I went in to ask if they knew of anywhere still open turned out to have a bar that was still serving. Chips and frittata saved the evening.
The weather during the week was not great, and on Friday night in the campsite the wind howled round the van and the rain drummed on the roof. Saturday dawned and, against the odds, it was bright, breezy and clear.
Like previous Endurance Life events the atmosphere was laid back and friendly. There was a pre-race brief and then at 0900 we were off (there had been an earlier start for the Ultra, and slower marathoners, and a later start for the 10km and the Half). We started in Rhosilli, ran across a couple of fields and were quickly on the coast. It was pretty stunning. I felt good, and soon settled into into a comfortable rhythm. The lead group spread out over the first few miles and I was left in what I thought was probably seventh or eight (mental arithmetic of any sort is not my forte when exercising).
The scenery and varied terrain (i.e. hilly) meant the time passed quickly enough. We were soon turning inland to cross the peninsula, and at the second checkpoint which was ten miles in. I was back on the coast again, at 16 miles, surprisingly quickly. I ran with another guy for a while, discussing various races. He is on for the entire coastal series, which will be good going. A burst of stamina saw me leave him behind. I was flying at this point, some sort of sugar buzz from the sixth gel. The scenery was good and I was confident of a sub four thirty hour time. And then... I was flat on my face. I tripped and landed heavily on my hip. It hurt but I picked myself up and quickly established I was ok. I continued on but the pace had dropped off.
Shortly afterwards I got to another checkpoint. How far to go? I asked. This is 22 miles, was the reply. Hmmm. Even my exercise murkified brain realised that wasn't answering the question, and having done (excellent) Endurance Life events before I knew they liked to sneak a few miles on the end.
I passed a guy with a Garmin Forerunner at 4:17, and he said we were at 42km at that point so I paced myself just right! However it didn't seem to be anywhere close to the end. I limped on. The pace in the last few kilometres dropped significantly, in line with my sense of humour, and I was passed by one runner (the first to pass me since we had separated out at the beginning, though you get individual times so someone starting further back could still do a faster time potentially). Finally, finally we turned back onto the path leading away from the coast and up to Rhosilli. I crossed the line, after close to 29 miles, in 4:47 and 10th place.
My legs have never hurt quite so much after a run. I limped round looking for Ali (who had had a fab time doing the half marathon). Eventually I found her, and the Bongo keys and was able to sit down and drink some tea. My mood rapidly improved!
It was a great event. A stunning location and well organised. Looking forward to Portland in less than three weeks. Chesil beach sounds like it might be a challenge.
In other news, it turns out the three of us in a notional team in the Mudrunner, were the 3rd fastest, and got 15 quid in vouchers and a trophy. So a fiver each. I've peaked - it's all down hill from here.
The weather during the week was not great, and on Friday night in the campsite the wind howled round the van and the rain drummed on the roof. Saturday dawned and, against the odds, it was bright, breezy and clear.
Like previous Endurance Life events the atmosphere was laid back and friendly. There was a pre-race brief and then at 0900 we were off (there had been an earlier start for the Ultra, and slower marathoners, and a later start for the 10km and the Half). We started in Rhosilli, ran across a couple of fields and were quickly on the coast. It was pretty stunning. I felt good, and soon settled into into a comfortable rhythm. The lead group spread out over the first few miles and I was left in what I thought was probably seventh or eight (mental arithmetic of any sort is not my forte when exercising).
The scenery and varied terrain (i.e. hilly) meant the time passed quickly enough. We were soon turning inland to cross the peninsula, and at the second checkpoint which was ten miles in. I was back on the coast again, at 16 miles, surprisingly quickly. I ran with another guy for a while, discussing various races. He is on for the entire coastal series, which will be good going. A burst of stamina saw me leave him behind. I was flying at this point, some sort of sugar buzz from the sixth gel. The scenery was good and I was confident of a sub four thirty hour time. And then... I was flat on my face. I tripped and landed heavily on my hip. It hurt but I picked myself up and quickly established I was ok. I continued on but the pace had dropped off.
Shortly afterwards I got to another checkpoint. How far to go? I asked. This is 22 miles, was the reply. Hmmm. Even my exercise murkified brain realised that wasn't answering the question, and having done (excellent) Endurance Life events before I knew they liked to sneak a few miles on the end.
I passed a guy with a Garmin Forerunner at 4:17, and he said we were at 42km at that point so I paced myself just right! However it didn't seem to be anywhere close to the end. I limped on. The pace in the last few kilometres dropped significantly, in line with my sense of humour, and I was passed by one runner (the first to pass me since we had separated out at the beginning, though you get individual times so someone starting further back could still do a faster time potentially). Finally, finally we turned back onto the path leading away from the coast and up to Rhosilli. I crossed the line, after close to 29 miles, in 4:47 and 10th place.
My legs have never hurt quite so much after a run. I limped round looking for Ali (who had had a fab time doing the half marathon). Eventually I found her, and the Bongo keys and was able to sit down and drink some tea. My mood rapidly improved!
It was a great event. A stunning location and well organised. Looking forward to Portland in less than three weeks. Chesil beach sounds like it might be a challenge.
In other news, it turns out the three of us in a notional team in the Mudrunner, were the 3rd fastest, and got 15 quid in vouchers and a trophy. So a fiver each. I've peaked - it's all down hill from here.
Sunday 7 November 2010
OMM
A misleading title, as we didn't do it. We were both unwell, and decided on the Thursday before the race (we would have been setting off on the Friday) that a night on Dartmoor was not on the cards. A shame as we were both looking forward to it (plus, Ali bought kit specially). Next year.
Am now fully recovered, but with a marathon next weekend have been taking it easy. A few runs in the week, a brisk hour on Cleeve Hill yesterday, and for the first time in a long time, a couple of hours on the road bike today (making it probably a whole, oh, 150 miles on that bike this year). It was great though. I had forgotten how light it was, and fast and how much I enjoy descending on road (so much less lumpy and rocky than on a mountain bike).
At this time of year I suddenly find it hard to motivate myself to get outside. I think its the cold and dampness. I like summer, obviously, and September and October as the seasons change are nice. And I love winter, and spring is fun as you know the warm weather is coming. But November. Cold, damp, the evenings are suddenly dark and I'm not skiing yet. The TV and the pub call strongly.
Am now fully recovered, but with a marathon next weekend have been taking it easy. A few runs in the week, a brisk hour on Cleeve Hill yesterday, and for the first time in a long time, a couple of hours on the road bike today (making it probably a whole, oh, 150 miles on that bike this year). It was great though. I had forgotten how light it was, and fast and how much I enjoy descending on road (so much less lumpy and rocky than on a mountain bike).
At this time of year I suddenly find it hard to motivate myself to get outside. I think its the cold and dampness. I like summer, obviously, and September and October as the seasons change are nice. And I love winter, and spring is fun as you know the warm weather is coming. But November. Cold, damp, the evenings are suddenly dark and I'm not skiing yet. The TV and the pub call strongly.
Monday 25 October 2010
Rest & the ski show
Post the Mud Runner I actually felt quite sprightly last week. Having decided to do more speed work to get a bit quicker I headed out on Wednesday lunchtime for a flat, fast run. 6 miles in 40 mins, with a bit of time lost stopping to read the route map was a pleasant enough way to spend a lunchtime, with plenty of room to get a bit quicker.
The rest of the week was just running to and from work (a total of seven miles each way). Thursday night a trail run with a head torch was ditched in favour of the pub. Saturday I did one of our regular hill routes along the Cotswold Way, and then we headed back to London for the rest of the weekend. A party on a boat on Saturday night ensured Sunday would be a lazy one.
And indeed it was. We went to the Ski show. The ski show always makes it seem like the ski season is nearly here, and this year was no exception. All the new kit, and the resorts advertising on their stands (the Chamonix Pavilion was a favourite) make the fresh snow that will soon be coating the Alps almost tangible. I resisted an expensive jacket this year, but did get a Cool Board. It is fun, and a lot tougher to master than the wobble ball I had. I look forward to mastering it, though the suggested squats while balancing are a way off yet! The other highlight of the ski show was the *cough* fashion show. It was better than it sounds! A very professional, exceptionally well choreographed, dance show. It was very entertaining. They didn't get on Cool Boards though.
The rest of the week was just running to and from work (a total of seven miles each way). Thursday night a trail run with a head torch was ditched in favour of the pub. Saturday I did one of our regular hill routes along the Cotswold Way, and then we headed back to London for the rest of the weekend. A party on a boat on Saturday night ensured Sunday would be a lazy one.
And indeed it was. We went to the Ski show. The ski show always makes it seem like the ski season is nearly here, and this year was no exception. All the new kit, and the resorts advertising on their stands (the Chamonix Pavilion was a favourite) make the fresh snow that will soon be coating the Alps almost tangible. I resisted an expensive jacket this year, but did get a Cool Board. It is fun, and a lot tougher to master than the wobble ball I had. I look forward to mastering it, though the suggested squats while balancing are a way off yet! The other highlight of the ski show was the *cough* fashion show. It was better than it sounds! A very professional, exceptionally well choreographed, dance show. It was very entertaining. They didn't get on Cool Boards though.
Sunday 17 October 2010
Mudrunner
The Mud Runner was fun, if a bit.. damp. 100m in and we were in a river. It was cold, dank and frankly, very smelly. Coming out of it it took some effort to level the heart rate off - the combination of the sprint from the start to the water, followed by the shock of the cold, and the effort to stay upright in the water left me nearly breathless.
The rest of the course was hard. A mix of very hilly terrain and, as the name suggests, mud. It was biased enough towards proper running to be good, with the occasional wading and sliding a break from the hills. I could feel Saturdays run in my legs on the hills, though I noticed towards the end I was still running up hills thats lots of people were walking on. I suppose the thing about ultra running is that you might not start fast, but don't slow down much. It was actually quite a challenge to override the desire to pace myself. This year I have been carefully building distance, and focussing on making sure I start a run at a pace I know means I'll get to the end. I found myself wanting to do the same today, despite the fact that for the distance I could have cheerfully gone full (or close to) throttle. I have always quite enjoyed short, hard races. The sensation of finding a level that is only just bearable, and than holding that pace for the duration and being utterly spent when you cross the line is, in a masochistic kind of a way, a good one.
Today took me 1 hour 7 minutes, which shows it was a hard 10km. Ali reckoned I was about 40th across the line, from a 1000, though the race was started in waves (based on your estimated time). There were lots of photographers out on the course too, so I am sure there will be plenty of photographs of filthy wet people.
The day was rounded off with a trip to Cotswold Outdoor. Mmmmm new season ski gear...
The rest of the course was hard. A mix of very hilly terrain and, as the name suggests, mud. It was biased enough towards proper running to be good, with the occasional wading and sliding a break from the hills. I could feel Saturdays run in my legs on the hills, though I noticed towards the end I was still running up hills thats lots of people were walking on. I suppose the thing about ultra running is that you might not start fast, but don't slow down much. It was actually quite a challenge to override the desire to pace myself. This year I have been carefully building distance, and focussing on making sure I start a run at a pace I know means I'll get to the end. I found myself wanting to do the same today, despite the fact that for the distance I could have cheerfully gone full (or close to) throttle. I have always quite enjoyed short, hard races. The sensation of finding a level that is only just bearable, and than holding that pace for the duration and being utterly spent when you cross the line is, in a masochistic kind of a way, a good one.
Today took me 1 hour 7 minutes, which shows it was a hard 10km. Ali reckoned I was about 40th across the line, from a 1000, though the race was started in waves (based on your estimated time). There were lots of photographers out on the course too, so I am sure there will be plenty of photographs of filthy wet people.
The day was rounded off with a trip to Cotswold Outdoor. Mmmmm new season ski gear...
Saturday 16 October 2010
Races
First long run today since the ultra. Two and a half pleasant hours in the Cotswolds. Is remarkable how much the seasons change the experience. What was green, leafy farm land now feels bleaker and the paths are quieter.
It was a good run and I tried out my new piece of kit. Another rucksack. Really you can't have too many. This fills the gap between my OMM 15l and no rucksack at all (clearly a gap that needed filling). First impressions are good.
So, races. The Mudrunner tomorrow (not too sure about this to be honest, but a colleague at work was doing it and it sounded like a good idea at the time). Then the OMM in two weeks, which should be good, and having the camper for the first night will be nice. Then I'm doing three of the Endurance Life CTS marathons (Gower, Portland and Pembrokeshire), slotted around assorted skiing trips. That should ensure a nice base of endurance over the winter, with the aim of doing a good time at the Chamonix Marathon next summer.
To prepare for all this I am currently having a beer and watching the Simpsons. Nice.
It was a good run and I tried out my new piece of kit. Another rucksack. Really you can't have too many. This fills the gap between my OMM 15l and no rucksack at all (clearly a gap that needed filling). First impressions are good.
So, races. The Mudrunner tomorrow (not too sure about this to be honest, but a colleague at work was doing it and it sounded like a good idea at the time). Then the OMM in two weeks, which should be good, and having the camper for the first night will be nice. Then I'm doing three of the Endurance Life CTS marathons (Gower, Portland and Pembrokeshire), slotted around assorted skiing trips. That should ensure a nice base of endurance over the winter, with the aim of doing a good time at the Chamonix Marathon next summer.
To prepare for all this I am currently having a beer and watching the Simpsons. Nice.
Thursday 7 October 2010
Recovery
I ran to work today. First run since the ultra. A seven mile round trip, and I felt really strong both ways. Nary a twinge from the muscles. I was quietly pleased.
Work colleagues have been impressed although I wasn't able to rest on my laurels the whole time:
Me: It was an ultra run.
Colleague: So thats what, 75 miles?
M: Erm no, 35.
C: Oh, well, that's still very impressive.
Oh hum. Something to aim for!
Work colleagues have been impressed although I wasn't able to rest on my laurels the whole time:
Me: It was an ultra run.
Colleague: So thats what, 75 miles?
M: Erm no, 35.
C: Oh, well, that's still very impressive.
Oh hum. Something to aim for!
Monday 4 October 2010
My first ultra
My first blog post, and it's about my first ultra run. On Saturday I took part in the Round Ripon Ultra, a 35 mile off road race in Ripon, Yorkshire.
I'll start the race report with the cyclists classic - making excuses. Every road race starts with various grumbles about lack of training/over training/heavy legs/feeling under the weather etc, and I see no reason to deviate here. The week leading up to the race was busy. I was away with work Monday - Thursday, and busy all day Friday. Thursday night I threw my kit together in preparation for leaving straight for work on Friday. Luckily ultra running is quite like regular running. You don't need much stuff. I was still worried I had forgotten something and feeling frazzled by the work week.
Any golf fans will have noticed that Friday was wet in the UK. The Ryder cup was delayed by rain. Lots of rain. Ali picked me up in our new camper van (a Ford Freda. Verdict; awesome & comfy. I might write post all about it) and off we set in the rain. Six hours, 200-odd miles, many long queues on the motorway, and supper in a Little Chef later we arrived at our campsite.
The morning of the race dawned with a bowl of muesli, tea and a pain au chocolate consumed in the new van. The race HQ was a short drive from the camp site, and with 40 entrants a low key, laid back affair. The guys from Go Beyond were friendly and welcoming, as were fellow runners. For the most part the race followed a route called the Ripon Rowel. Each entrant was given a book with the route highlighted on sections from the 1:25000 OS map of the area. A pre race brief described a couple of areas where the route was not clearly marked, and where navigation might be a bit trickier.
At 0930, with little fanfare, we were off. The day that had started cold was soon warm and clear (remarkably, given the weather the previous day), and in just a few minutes of running I had decided to ditch my running tights at the first of four checkpoints, which was approx 7 miles in.
The run took us through Ripon, and then off road onto a flat route that followed a river. This meant the first seven miles passed in an hour, with the the entire field staying fairly close. I ditched my tights at the check point, where Ali was waiting to cheer me on (and with spare gels and other assorted sports related snacks).
The second leg continued along the river, though moving into slippery, rooty paths through woods. This was more interesting running terrain which I enjoyed. It was also the first section which really needed you to double check the map on occasion, as there were many paths through the trees.
Leaving the woods we were soon at the second checkpoint, close to our campsite, in the village of Masham. A quick refill of the camelbak and a mouthful or two of some home made cake and I was off on the third section. By now a small group of five or so runners had formed. I chatted to my fellow competitors as the terrain became more hilly as we headed towards the peaks proper.
Despite the hills the time between checkpoints 2 and 3 was quite quick. Checkpoint 3 was at the top of a long on-road climb. My legs were beginning to feel a bit tired at this stage but I trotted up the hill happily enough. It split the group a bit but we were soon back together at the top. The organisers had promised savouries at this point and much to my delight alongside the sausage roles and miniature pork pies they had Quorn scotch eggs. Wonderful! I wolfed down several, before setting off.
The terrain now was much rougher and hillier, and the temperature dropped. The views were bleakly fantastic and some sections began to feel quite remote. The leg between checkpoints 3 and 4 was the longest, and the organisers had warned us that the path was harder to find in some places. Our group began to break up as the distance and terrain took its tole, though often regrouping when the way wasn't clear. Despite my legs starting to feel sore, and generally being the one off the back, I was confident of the route, and hence was quickly back up with the bunch and consulted on the way forward when there was a choice of direction. The ground at this stage was often wet underfoot, and the path did indeed vanish entirely in some sections.
Eventually, I let myself drop off the bunch. Even though I felt pretty good, I didn't think it was worth pushing faster than I was comfortable with, especially given there was still a long way to go.
I trotted slowly but comfortably into checkpoint 4. Andy (one of the guys from the bunch that had been together) had only got a minute or two ahead of me and was still at the table stocking up on food. I looked at Ali and commented I was getting slower now having been dropped - she looked surprised and told me the rest of our impromptu group hadn't been through. The woman manning the checkpoint confirmed this. Only five people had gone through ahead of us - and one of those had re-appeared after having done a huge loop, and was now sat grumpily in our car waiting on a lift back to the end having called it a day! It seemed that the group we had been with had gone astray. That made Andy and I fifth on the road, with something like seven miles to go. Considerably cheered, we set off, with warnings of tricky navigation in our ears.
The last section was fun. My toes were sore, and legs tired, but in the route was not that difficult to follow, and I felt strong and comfortable. We trotted along happily, making our way across fields, and through farm yards, before reaching the Fountains Abbey which marked the last few miles. We shuffled our mud covered and wet way through surprised looking tourists, and down the long, straight and downhill drive which was surprisingly hard on the legs. As we were running Andy suggested we crossed the line together. This sounded like a good idea, mainly as I had no intention whatsoever of sprinting. After a mere 6 hours and 36 minutes we crossed the line together in joint fifth. Not a bad effort as we were both first timers.
It was a great event. A good experience of ultra running, and it has certainly made me inclined to do more. I would also recommend Go Beyond events as it was well organised and friendly and they do nice t-shirts.
Also it would appear that being able to read a map is a big plus in events like this. The navigation was not really hard (I never took my compass out of my rucksack), and it was clear that many runners would have benefited from some practise at navigation.
I'll start the race report with the cyclists classic - making excuses. Every road race starts with various grumbles about lack of training/over training/heavy legs/feeling under the weather etc, and I see no reason to deviate here. The week leading up to the race was busy. I was away with work Monday - Thursday, and busy all day Friday. Thursday night I threw my kit together in preparation for leaving straight for work on Friday. Luckily ultra running is quite like regular running. You don't need much stuff. I was still worried I had forgotten something and feeling frazzled by the work week.
Any golf fans will have noticed that Friday was wet in the UK. The Ryder cup was delayed by rain. Lots of rain. Ali picked me up in our new camper van (a Ford Freda. Verdict; awesome & comfy. I might write post all about it) and off we set in the rain. Six hours, 200-odd miles, many long queues on the motorway, and supper in a Little Chef later we arrived at our campsite.
The morning of the race dawned with a bowl of muesli, tea and a pain au chocolate consumed in the new van. The race HQ was a short drive from the camp site, and with 40 entrants a low key, laid back affair. The guys from Go Beyond were friendly and welcoming, as were fellow runners. For the most part the race followed a route called the Ripon Rowel. Each entrant was given a book with the route highlighted on sections from the 1:25000 OS map of the area. A pre race brief described a couple of areas where the route was not clearly marked, and where navigation might be a bit trickier.
At 0930, with little fanfare, we were off. The day that had started cold was soon warm and clear (remarkably, given the weather the previous day), and in just a few minutes of running I had decided to ditch my running tights at the first of four checkpoints, which was approx 7 miles in.
The run took us through Ripon, and then off road onto a flat route that followed a river. This meant the first seven miles passed in an hour, with the the entire field staying fairly close. I ditched my tights at the check point, where Ali was waiting to cheer me on (and with spare gels and other assorted sports related snacks).
The second leg continued along the river, though moving into slippery, rooty paths through woods. This was more interesting running terrain which I enjoyed. It was also the first section which really needed you to double check the map on occasion, as there were many paths through the trees.
Leaving the woods we were soon at the second checkpoint, close to our campsite, in the village of Masham. A quick refill of the camelbak and a mouthful or two of some home made cake and I was off on the third section. By now a small group of five or so runners had formed. I chatted to my fellow competitors as the terrain became more hilly as we headed towards the peaks proper.
Despite the hills the time between checkpoints 2 and 3 was quite quick. Checkpoint 3 was at the top of a long on-road climb. My legs were beginning to feel a bit tired at this stage but I trotted up the hill happily enough. It split the group a bit but we were soon back together at the top. The organisers had promised savouries at this point and much to my delight alongside the sausage roles and miniature pork pies they had Quorn scotch eggs. Wonderful! I wolfed down several, before setting off.
The terrain now was much rougher and hillier, and the temperature dropped. The views were bleakly fantastic and some sections began to feel quite remote. The leg between checkpoints 3 and 4 was the longest, and the organisers had warned us that the path was harder to find in some places. Our group began to break up as the distance and terrain took its tole, though often regrouping when the way wasn't clear. Despite my legs starting to feel sore, and generally being the one off the back, I was confident of the route, and hence was quickly back up with the bunch and consulted on the way forward when there was a choice of direction. The ground at this stage was often wet underfoot, and the path did indeed vanish entirely in some sections.
Eventually, I let myself drop off the bunch. Even though I felt pretty good, I didn't think it was worth pushing faster than I was comfortable with, especially given there was still a long way to go.
I trotted slowly but comfortably into checkpoint 4. Andy (one of the guys from the bunch that had been together) had only got a minute or two ahead of me and was still at the table stocking up on food. I looked at Ali and commented I was getting slower now having been dropped - she looked surprised and told me the rest of our impromptu group hadn't been through. The woman manning the checkpoint confirmed this. Only five people had gone through ahead of us - and one of those had re-appeared after having done a huge loop, and was now sat grumpily in our car waiting on a lift back to the end having called it a day! It seemed that the group we had been with had gone astray. That made Andy and I fifth on the road, with something like seven miles to go. Considerably cheered, we set off, with warnings of tricky navigation in our ears.
The last section was fun. My toes were sore, and legs tired, but in the route was not that difficult to follow, and I felt strong and comfortable. We trotted along happily, making our way across fields, and through farm yards, before reaching the Fountains Abbey which marked the last few miles. We shuffled our mud covered and wet way through surprised looking tourists, and down the long, straight and downhill drive which was surprisingly hard on the legs. As we were running Andy suggested we crossed the line together. This sounded like a good idea, mainly as I had no intention whatsoever of sprinting. After a mere 6 hours and 36 minutes we crossed the line together in joint fifth. Not a bad effort as we were both first timers.
It was a great event. A good experience of ultra running, and it has certainly made me inclined to do more. I would also recommend Go Beyond events as it was well organised and friendly and they do nice t-shirts.
Also it would appear that being able to read a map is a big plus in events like this. The navigation was not really hard (I never took my compass out of my rucksack), and it was clear that many runners would have benefited from some practise at navigation.
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