That's Lyth 23.5 miler...... Powered by doughnuts.....

Early start - yuck!  Up at 5am, in the car on the road at 6.30am.  Both of us was waiting for the other to say "Shall we stay in bed instead?" but as neither of us did, we set off in the direction of Kendal.  Ball of my right foot still sore, blisters ok, muscles fine.



The reward that makes it all worth while!



Got to Kendal and the parking was horrendous.  Luckily we found some on-road parking without restrictions, and not too far from the Scout Hut.  The weather was about 0-1 degrees, so frosty, but nice...not too sunny.  We made our way to the hut for a biscuit, register and pick up our tally card.  The event today was organised by LDWA Westmorland and North Lancs, and is their regular January Event.  It gets pretty full, and today was  no exception with about 300 starters.

ONE.... yes you read it right.... ONE female toilet meant a HUGE queue and we got to the start of the run approximately 30 seconds before we set off.  We started out into the town of Kendal and immediately were running along the side of the river.  Flashbacks to the Grand Union Canal of last weekend crashed into my brain bringing on feelings of fear and nausea, but luckily we were soon onto the High Street and away from the offending waters. 


Rich on Whitbarrow Scar - Kendal down below us..... way down below us....


We climbed up quickly using a mixture of side streets and steep steps, and made our way up onto Hellsfell..... scarily named, but pretty tame.  It was a steady up, and after last weekend, I was happy for anything other than flat.  We kept climbing all the way up to Whitbarrow Scar where we posed for photos by the HUGE cairn.  It was a tad chilly up there, but some fab views that you can't see because I couldn't be bothered to keep getting the camera out.... sorry.....  The ground was very hard from the frost and littered with rocks.  Pretty heavy on the legs, and we would pay that price later.



Whitbarrow Scar Memorial Cairn

 We ran down then into a village where we stopped at the Hall for the first checkpoint.  OMG the best CP ever.  Neither of us was particularly hungry, but the CP was very well stocked.  Malt loaf, crisps, sandwiches and..... DOUGHNUTS!  Assorted flavours.... the possibilities were endless.  I dived straight in and hit the jackpot with a custard delight, whilst Rich lucked out with an apple one.  We grabbed the food and ran off down the road, eating as we went.  We garbled 'Morning' to the runners we were passing, spitting out bits of sugar and dough as we went.  Learning to eat on the run is a REAL bonus. 

We then ran through a mixture of road and woodlands which were fairly nondescript until we went hurtling (there wasn't a choice) down a really steep slope in the woods.  The rocks were pretty slippy, and this wasn't helped by the frozen ground.  I managed to 'knee' a stone wall in my attempt to get over a stile, which Rich found hilarious, and I notched up yet another bruise to add to the collection.

CP2 was in another Village Hall, and this time we were disappointed to find not a doughnut in sight.   I was gutted.  Rich, on the other hand, was in luck yet again.  As there are a large number of walkers on these LDWA events, the catering is sometimes more appropriate to walkers than runners.  An example of this is the hotdog in a bun with onions and tom sauce.  Not running food, obviously.  Rich thought different.... he polished off two hotdogs in buns (yes, complete with onions and tom sauce) as well as a mince pie and 4 Jaffa Cakes....... then ran back out.  Now, I know he is blessed with an iron constitution, but really?  Two hotdogs?  I've seen him eat 3/4 of a Pork Pie (the big ones) at a checkpoint before, but I was concerned that we would be seeing these hot dogs again at some point.....


Powered by Doughnuts....

 So, uphill for quite a while now, but only 4 miles to the next checkpoint.  We went wrong in our navigation at one point and had to cut across a bramble-strewn bank which left us with various cuts and scrapes on our legs, but we didn't have to retrace our steps... that was the important thing!!  We nearly went wrong again just minutes later and decided that we needed to pay more attention.  Rich had been MTBing the day before and was starting to feel the uphills in his quads, and my ankles were beginning to fill, mainly from the concussion of last weekend being compounded by the hard ground today.  However, we were feeling good and having fun.

CP3 was in a garage, and joy or joys, the assorted doughnuts were on offer again.  Rich went for jam this time and I stuck with the custard variety.  I cannot describe how heavenly these doughnuts were.  We set off through the garden and up up up towards Scout Scar.  We only had about 5.5 miles left and we were feeling pretty good still - concussive injuries (mainly on balls of feet) from the hard ground, but that's it.

A bit a 'fingers-crossed' navigation got us up onto Scout Scar and the subsequent downhills were fun, but painful due to the stones sticking up all over.  These were potential ankle-breakers, but we managed to take it steady and get down safely to the road.  There then ensued about 2 miles of downhill all the way into Kendal.  Although its great on your tiredness/fitness, these long downhills can be heavy on your legs, particularly as we were suffering concussion.  However, we ran all the way into the Scout Hut and felt really strong and able to go round again (although we didn't).

Personally, I'm pleased that my muscles held up so well throughout.  Everything felt fine.  Blisters gave me no trouble at all, and apart from the right ankle being pounded down constantly, I felt good.  Energy levels also good.... probably due to doughnut-power.  I drove us home, walked the dogs and got into the bath for a long soak.  Then into the recovery tights.  I have a feeling that my right ankle will fill up overnight, but all should be ok otherwise.

So - to sum up - a good day.  Great company, great laughs, ok navigation, below average route.... too much road and generally non-descript, perfect running weather, fab checkpoint food.

You can see the 'Scar' in the landscape... we're smiling, but it's not fun to run on!!

Ultra 90....or "Why I hate canals....."

So, I got to The Park Inn (without much help from Northampton's one way system) at about 7pm on the Friday night.  Helen was already there and it was strange finally meeting her.  We met on the Ultra 90 Forum when I posted for a roommate for the event, and we've Facebooked and emailed constantly since.... it's like we know each other, even though we've never met.  We dumped our stuff in the room (which was alright - tidy, comfy etc) and went down to register. 

There were quite a few of us there already and we were given our maps, goody bags (energy powders, 9 Bars etc), numbers (laminated AND with our names on... very nice) as well as our techie-t-shirts (nice - white and grey with 'Ultra 90' on the front) but only in small and large..... a bit naughty as the majority of ultra runners I would argue would probably want the medium!!).

Anyway - we got our stuff and perused the map at the bar with the assistance of a pint of cider (important pre-race nutrition) and a bowl of chips...... ok, I can't defend that one, except to say that there was nothing else for vegetarians except for curry.... and that's far too dodgy to have on a race weekend!  We met up with two other runners who came to sit with us - Graham who'd only run a marathon before and had run 30 miles in training, and Trinity who was pretty good - she was 3rd lady on the first day and is in training for the Marathon Des Sables (forever after in this post known as MDS).  We chatted tactics... ie keep running until the end, then retired to bed at a reasonable 9.30pm.

Myself and Helen faffed about getting our kit ready for the next day, then finally got to bed about 10, although I don't think either of us got any kind of decent sleep.  I was having very strange dreams about getting to the start late.  I'd looked at the maps and, knowing I was navigating mainly by bridge numbers, was concerned at the minuscule size of said numbers on the map...... and if we were navigating it in the dark, it was going to be fun!

Day 1 - Northampton to Tring

Breakfast was a couple of pieces of toast (they had no porridge) and a quick scramble to get bags to the foyer for transport to our destination, and packs onto our backs for the run.  We set off from the Hotel Foyer dead on 8am.  There were people from Sweden and Germany at the race, as well as a 70-odd year old runner and a 19 year old virgin (ultra virgin..... obviously..... and male).

We started downhill (YAY!) through the streets of Northampton, took over the one way system, and turned left to join the Grand Union Canal (GUC).  This was the most exciting part of the day.  From hereon in it was 45 miles of canal....... never ending canal......

I was feeling quite good mechanically - legs felt ok, feet fine and energy levels good.  Ran solid for the first 2 hours.  Caught up with a couple who I'd run with on and off at the Rotherham 50 miler back in October, and they overtook me, although I note they didn't start on the second day).  I also ran for a while with a male agency nurse who works 12 on, 12 off and uses these odd shifts to support his training, as well as the German lady who was running behind her hubby - who I think won it on the first day, breaking the course record by completing in 6hrs 27!  Nutter!

The Grand Union Canal.... my Nemesis.....

We only got a bit lost but soon found our way.  You'd think it'd be easy, but you have to keep crossing the canal, and if you miss one bridge you might not be able to cross back for a while, or worse, have to run back from whence you came in order to cross!  Graham caught up and demanded that I entertain the troops, but as I was not in the mood for singing or dancing, we resorted to telling jokes and looking for odd things in the canal.  My top three things to find in the canal on day one:

     1) Teddy Bear Leg (for sheer random-factor)
     2) Assorted dead animals - sheep, fox, badger, cat (sad, but interesting)
     3) Lacy thong - red (no comment)

I also met lady and her partner, and she was in training for the MDS.  She wasn't a runner in 2008 when she applied for MDS and got given a place for 2011, but she figured she best start learning to run.  Since then she's done a few ultras, but was using this as the test for getting going the next day.  It was nice running with them as they kept me well paced and took regular walk breaks.  Interestingly, her main aim is keeping hydrated as this will be a HUGE issue in the desert, and yet you need to train your body to be able to take on that amount of water.

Helen caught me after about 3-4 hours ish (I think - it's hard to keep track) and her method of running 25 mins, walking for 5 mins seemed to be keeping her shifting along.  By mile 20, my motivation and mental strength was in my boots and I was hating every minute.  Legs etc felt great, but I just didn't want to do it... I was bored.... it was boring.... and I couldn't change my mindset.  I found pacing very hard, because I usually run hilly courses, so the terrain paces me.... walking up the hills (and eating at the same time), running down the hills and the flats.  When it is all flat, it's hard to know when to run and when to walk.  This is how I ended up slowing and getting increasingly demoralised.  The checkpoints were all about 9 miles apart, so it seemed an age in between, and they didn't even have cake... just 9 Bars and flapjacks... of which I fancied neither.  Luckily though, I was troughing through my own food like there was no tomorrow.

I was having minor tummy issues also, meaning pretty regular stops along the canal for the loo... Paula Radcliffe style.  Unfortunately, the GUC is quite busy.  Either you're in a built up area (houses and dog walkers) in a more remote area (fishermen and lived in barges) or being passed by runners!  I managed to find a Geocache (Google it) on one of my toilet stops, which would have been fantastic had I been looking for it.  The 'gift' was a pack of Snap cards, which would have helped while away the hours, but I thought it would be rude to steal as I had nothing to replace it with except a 9Bar!



Towpath was a mixture of tarmac, gravel, mud and sludge.... but it was all flat.....


I don't know which mile it was (to be honest, they all looked the same) but I began leap-frogging a pair of men runners, one of them being Mac, a Welsh prison officer currently working in Birmingham.  As I went to Uni in Wales, lived near B'ham and worked for the Police, we had much in common.  Eventually his friend ran on, and we agreed to keep together till the end (probably the last 4 hours or so).  I was glad of his company, particularly at the end where it got very dark, overgrown and narrow along the canal.

Mac's legs were tired but mind was willing, my legs were fine, but mind was lacking, so we supported each other well.  We had a good laugh together and he acted as a double-check on my map-reading towards the end when canals start merging and branching off.  We made it to the final bridge (Number 135 - etched on my brain forever) and got onto the road and ran the 500m to the Pendley Manor Hotel.  Our official time was 10hrs 53mins and we were joint 81st out of 102 finishers (there were 13 non-starters).  I was knackered.

Helen was already back, so I jumped into a hot bath and surveyed the damage to my feet.  Now, I don't get blisters, I NEVER get blisters, so I was furious to find that the constant flat pounding of my feet on the dull dull towpath had given me blisters!  I had them on both feet, and whole toes were surrounded with them causing the skin to slough off like a glove!  Yuck!  I enjoyed bursting them and cutting away the skin so I could leave them open to the air overnight.  I then walked (on my heels) to retrieve my trainers from the foyer whilst Helen ordered us an Indian Takeaway delivered to the car park.  We'd have eaten at the hotel, but it was a posh hotel with ridiculously expensive food for tiny portions... and we were starving!  Funnily enough, the German couple ate there, complained at the tiny portions, and were served seconds.  I think we'd be far too polite to do that in England, and therefore we are very stupid.... the Germans had the right idea!

Blurry, but you can see the whole of my little toe is one HUGE blister, and the painful one, is the blister at the base of my second toe... which went all down to the ball of my foot....

Whilst eating my curry and fiddling with my blisters, I decided that I wasn't running on Sunday, then I decided I would run to the first checkpoint on Sunday only, then decided I would see how I feel on Sunday.  We had a rubbish night's sleep again (kids were running up and down the corridors from a wedding in the main function room - or at least they were until I balled at them down the corridor in my best teacher voice). 

Day 2 - Tring to Northampton

Mac was only running yesterday, and I noticed that of the 90 milers who started yesterday, 30 pulled out on the morning of the second day.  I couldn't be one of them, but I did know I'd be slow, so I asked for an earlier start.

We had breakfast at 6.30 (nice - toast, egg, Danish Pastry), and I set off at 7.15 - 45 mins ahead of everyone else.  My legs felt fine and my blistered feet were 'ok' in my other set of trainers, but I knew they would be an issue later in the day.  I set off at a good pace and ran for at least an hour solid before my first walk break.  This was mainly due to the dark and scary canal I was running down, and the fact that I'd decided to wear my IPod to cheer myself along a bit. I was 100% aware at all times that I was simply running back the way I came yesterday, and found this infuriating!

I look tired, and suitably unimpressed.....

My focus for today was not looking for unusual items in the canal, but finding amusing or clever barge names. 

     Winner:        Moose Drool (so random)
     Runner-up:    Narrow Escape (clever)

However, this did not keep me occupied for long.  I was starting to be passed by the one-dayers, who all clapped and cheered me along in my 90 mile attempt, which helped lift me.  The lead male sprinted by (show-off) looking effortless, as my run was now descending into more of a hobble.... and later a shuffle.... as the HUGE blister on my right foot began to squelch under my foot.  As I slowed down I was getting more and more cold, and more and more miserable too.



Helen passing me on Day 2

 I made it to the first checkpoint, but already I was thinking only a checkpoint at a time.  I hoped to make it to CP3, but in the end that was not to be.  I continued to shuffle along, getting more and more cold, eating more, but drinking less.  Most of the runners had passed me and I was realising that, should I finish, I would be looking at arrival at The Park Hotel at around 10pm.  Not only did that mean 5ish hours in the dark on the canal, but also an arrival time back at home after the 3 hour drive of about 1am (and i had work in the morning). 

All this added up together, and at CP2 when the marshall told me she could transport me back to the Park if need be, the deal was done.  I stopped.  My first ever (and hopefully last ever) DNF.  I'd done 70 miles (which is my furthest to date) and I did my first ever 2-day run (45 day one, 25 day two), so I had nothing to be ashamed of, just lots to be proud of.  I'd managed 5hrs 33 mins running, to make a total over the 2 days of 16hrs 26 mins for nearly 70 miles.  Anna drove me to CP4 to collect my bag and then took me to The Park.  I jumped straight in the car and drove home. 

I got home and bathed, then started working on my feet.  Again, my legs felt amazing, it was the flat pounding that had done me in.  Before I entered, I KNEW I hated canals, but it really proved to me a) how MUCH I hate them, and b) just how 'mental' this sport is.  If I could have switched my brain off, my body could have completed... but it wasn't to be.  I am happy about completing the 100 in May as it is a continuous run; I found the overnight break harder than anything else!!


Blister on Monday - dried and drained.... nice!


RESULTS: http://www.ultrarace.co.uk/events/downloads/results/2011_ur45_results.xls

Report from the weekend.... tomorrow..... promise....

I know, I know, I'm a bad-blogger, but I am still tired from the weekend!  I've had a horrendous and busy week at work, and every night has been cutting and patching blisters, rubbing sore feet and sleeping!!

I'm pretty much recovered for Sunday's 23.5 miler (starting from Kendal), but you never really know till you start.  I'll do my 90-miler race report tomorrow when I am chilling out on the sofa.... that way I'll have time to upload the photos etc too!

Packed and ready to go.....

As it says in the title, I'm packed and ready to go.  Anything I've forgotten is just tough luck because there's no more room in my already HUGE bag!  Two sets of run kit, two pairs of trainers, blister kits, first aid kits, recovery kit and recovery tights, wash stuff, casual stuff.... to be honest, I take less when I go on holiday for a fortnight!

Everyone on the UltraRace forum are getting excited too... so that's fun.  I'm really looking forward to meeting everyone and having chats over breakfast and dinner... I doubt we'll have much breath for chats on the run!

Weather looking good - cool (about 4 degrees) but dry.  So, perfect really!  Ice would be a nightmare, especially with my track record of falls and the close proximity of the canal(!).  I've been eating up today and will do so tomorrow too.... I think this is the best bit about these runs... eating and no exercise.... shame you have to then pay for it with a 90 mile run..... hmm......

Good news of the day.... got the Tandem Results - we finished 37th team out of 79 starters - 8 teams didn't finish.  Chuffed to bits considering the awful conditions!!

Excited about the 90 miler.....

Well, did my final run on Saturday morning, now resting legs and eating up ready for the 90 miler on Sat/Sun.  Run went well - just pottered around an 8.5 mile route, fairly flat.  Legs felt good!  Was going to do more, but the rain was horrendous, the wind was awful, and the motivation was fairly lacking.  It was just a leg turn, and I did it, and I enjoyed it.  Enough said.  Managed to lose 5lb this week, so that's a bit less to be carrying round!

I've got all my ultra-foods packed up and ready to go, just got to pack my kit bag.  In my food bag I have the following items (remember, I won't take them ALL with me on the day, I'll never be able to carry!): crisps, pretzels, gels, sports beans (energy sweets with electrolytes), fruit pastilles, penguins, custard creams, ginger biscuits (for nausea), toffees, smoothies and chia seeds.  On the morning I'll pack a selection of each into my back.  On the route there are checkpoints with water and '9 Bar' every 9 miles, but I usually want something sweet.  Ginger biscs are fab if you get nauseous too!

I'm leaving straight from school and going to the hotel in Northampton where the race starts from.  I've met a girl called Helen on the UltraRace forum and we're sharing a room to keep costs down.  Once we're met and checked in, we'll register (the organisers will be in the bar 7-9) and get some food.  Then it's an early night ready for a 8am start. 

We'll run from the Hotel all the way to another hotel in Tring where we're planning on showering and getting a taxi to a more affordable pub in the town where we'll eat for England (legitimately this time!).  Then it's early night because we've asked for an earlier start in the morning - so that means breakfast at 6am, run at 7am! 

Once I've finished (however long that takes on the 2nd day!) it's straight into the car and drive the 3 hours home before I either fall asleep or stiffen up beyond control.  Then bed (probably get home about 10pm) and work in the morning!  Nightmare.... goodness knows what state I'll be in!!!  I'll do a full race report in the week - but it may take some recovery time before I get chance to do it!

My aim is to run the first day steady so I am able to complete the second.  I don't want to whiz round day one, then have nothing left/injury for day two.  I'd rather run them slower and complete, even if I then say "I could have done that quicker".  I've never run two long runs back to back before, so it should be a steep learning curve!

Other news.... received the Housman 100 map, but not looked at in detail yet; and managed to find a couple of spare days to go and reccy the Fellsman route - we want to look at the night sections!

Eating for England....

Well, I have my appetite back - well and truly!  Am eating the entire contents of all the cupboards.  I know I need to stock up for the 90 miler, but this is a bit ridiculous!  I like to keep my weight about 8st 10lbs, but I am in excess of this at present and need to claw it back.  Hmmm.... where's that salad!

Achilles update - all seems well.  Left one is PERFECT and the right one was a little sore after the run, but only to the touch - it doesn't appear to be a strain, pull or tear.  So that's very positive indeed!

Sent my entry off for High Peak 40 in September, and got confirmation through for the Three Shires in March.  All thoughts are currently turning to the Ultra Race 90 (2 day stage race) which is my next race (Northampton to Tring (45 miles) then back again the next day) on 22/23rd Jan.  Got accommodation and room share sorted, just trying to sort logistics now re getting there on the Friday night.  Worst will be driving home on the Sunday after 90 miles of running.... a 3 hour drive, bed, then work in the morning!  Lordy Lordy!!  Lots of good banter on the Ultra Race forum, so will be good fun, and will be great to meet other (stupid) runners!!

Legs still feel fine, and my bruises are HUGE and classic!

The Last Tandem.... and Tumbles x 8....

Well.... we stayed overnight at the Hull Road, York Travelodge and rose early in the morning - 5.30 to be precise.  We were dressed and in the car for 6.20 and it was already raining - HARD!  About an hour to get there, with snow on the banks to the right and left, and as we got onto the moors nearly Fylingdales we could see that it was likely to be a snowy one!  On entering Goathland Village, we found the marshalls who informed us that the parking was full at the Village Hall, that the field set aside for parking was flooded, and that we would therefore have to park about half a mile out of the village.  Not the best start.

By the time we had parked and walked back to the Village Hall to register, we only had 20 mins to start.... requiring time to go to the loo, strip outer clothes to reveal our running kit, work out where we go out of the start, and go to the loo again.  What didn't help, is that on the way from parked car to Hall, I had slipped on ice and fallen into the road (luckily the passing car missed me), but I managed to bang my right hip, whack my right hand on the road (trying to save myself) and banged my head.  So I was already starting with an injury.  Luckily (!) I was so cold and numb from falling that nothing had started to hurt....yet.

So we started.  There was lots of banter at the start about which was easiest, the West or East route.  People were saying the West route (mine) was slightly shorter, but hillier, and that the East route was slightly longer but flatter.  You can't swap once you're there, so it didn't make any difference, and ground conditions proved to be a major factor this time.  We set off together for about 1/3 of a mile, then the West route branched left down a frozen footpath next to a stream.  Fabulous long downhill, but you couldn't run it as I found out when I crashed down onto my left hip... at least the pain was even now.  So we hugged the edges and tried to stomp through flaky snow to avoid the sheet ice.  This was NOT fun!

After the first checkpoint we got onto roads and it was a relief to be able to run fairly safely.  Some runners in front took a wrong turn, but I was following a pair of ladies who had recce'd the course, so I stuck in sight of them.  We soon took a long pull up a 33% hill, so I was power-walking my way up.  I was so busy looking on my map for the right turn into a bridleway, that I totally missed the self-clip checkpoint and had to go back!  How infuriating.  This also meant that I lost the people I was keeping in sight too.  Anyway, the route was pretty straight forward through the wood, but incredibly icy.  I fell again (twice) both times onto my knees.  I nearly fell about 50 times.  At the end of the bridleway the route was ambiguous, and I was cold and not looking at my map properly.  I finally decided which way to go when a runner came up behind me and reassured me I WAS going the right way.  I am so annoyed at myself... I needed to trust what I knew was right!

So I ran on into Glaisedale.  Unfortunately Glaisdale is up hill.  And I mean UP and HILL in a big way.  A long pull up, leaning at 45 degrees to keep going.  I went past 'The Willy House' which was a little cottage, and this provided my only amusement for the next couple of hours.  From here I hit a checkpoint at the start of Glaisedale Rigg.  Despite the fact they had Custard Creams, I couldn't eat!!  Now, I have had problems eating during runs, but over the last year I have managed to get over it and feed myself pretty much every hour on a variety of gels, sportsbeans, biscuits, crisps and cake.... basically whatever my body will take.... but I couldn't force this biscuit down for anything.  So I strode on with a gel and hoped it would get me through.  I was feeling pretty nauseous and couldn't stomach anything.  I hoped I wasn't nursing a head injury from fall number 1.

Glaisedale Rigg was, to put it bluntly, horrid.  I'd opted for just my running vest and Pertex Montane H2O Light jacket, and quite frankly, I was freezing.  The track was wide, but the wind blew hard (and very very cold) from the right to begin with, then straight into my face.  I could just about make out runners in front, but even they were struggling and I managed to gain some ground....slowly.   The wide track was covered in a foot of snow which had then iced over - absolutely treacherous.  I was all over the place and couldn't make any headway from a running point of view - just marching as best I could.

At the next checkpoint I still couldn't manage any food, but forced some wine gums down me.  I was panicking now cos I knew I needed to be eating, but the nausea just wouldn't subside.  The track off Glaisedale was bridleway which looks incredibly easy to navigate when looking at the map.  Unfortunately, within a 100 yds of the start of the bridleway it suddenly became un-navigable moorland.  Not a track in sight.  I headed towards the house I had seen on the map, and almost ended up going down a waterfall....the quick way!  I tracked back up to the ridge and saw a runner in the distance.  I decided to wait for her and hope that she knew where the track was supposed to be.  Luckily she had run this before and knew we were looking for a gate in a wall.... which we found.  I ran down the wall edge towards the road, managing to clock up another fall on the way.  Mud.... dirtier, but softer than snow and ice.  Bliss.

Next was a road section that I tried to run as best I could, but it was pretty hilly.  I ran the downs and had to slow up looking for another turn onto a bridleway.  I found it and it went vertically up.  Joy.  So I clawed my way up this hill (we were cutting off the loop of the bridleway) and then started looking for the track.  Again, almost impossible.  We spent about 5 mins heather-bashing trying to find the path.  Eventually we got it, but it was a foot deep in snow and covered in ice (familiar?).  So.... we heather-bashed all the way to the gate (which was so iced we had to clamber over it rather than open it).

The way was more open now, but still impossible to do more than trudge down.  We were looking for a self-clip at Wintergill, but couldn't find it where it was supposed to be according to the Grid Reference given.  We must have wasted 5 mins or more looking for it before continuing on the path.  Luckily we then came across it, and shouted back to the other runners who were also looking puzzled trying to find it.  Looking at the map we now had a long section of moorland road.  Great - will be able to run and make up some time!

Or not..... the road was sheet ice, so again we were limited to shuffling along the edges of the road and heather-bashing to gain some ground.  I was feeling pretty poorly by this stage, and knew I had to try to force some food down me.  I couldn't face anything sweet, so I gave plain crisps a go.  It took me the next 30 mins to eat half a pack, and each mouthful made me feel worse.  I abandoned them in favour of yet more water.  We reached the checkpoint then headed off across the moor in the general direction of a large forest.  Some of this was runnable (yay) and downhill (even more yay) but every so often a bit of ice would catch me out and I fell again.  I was getting pretty fed up of this snow and ice.  At one point I put my foot on the snow and I went up to my knees and into a stream.  Great.  My feet had been cold and wet and my trainers full of ice lumps all day, but that doesn't mean to say that this wasn't one footstep too far!

Loads ahead of us were searching (in the wrong area) for the gate into the woods.  The lady I was with knew were the gate was, so we went off on our own in the right direction.  Woodland track would be great for running on....right?  Wrong.  More snow covered the tracks and again it had partly defrosted and iced over. Treacherous again.  SO we accepted that the next couple of miles would be a painful trudge.  We made our way up the hill and found runners filing in from our left - the ones that had been a good twenty mins ahead of us, but who had got lost getting into the forest.  Everyone seemed pretty drained and demoralised.  There was no running from anyone, but I managed to pass 10 or more people power-marching up.  We then ran down a muddy stream (soaked!) to arrive in Stape where we were to meet our partners.

Rich had arrived about 25mins before me and was waiting and I was pleased to see him.  I grabbed a sugary cup of tea and we set off walking up the hill.  I couldn't eat (still) but managed to nibble round the edge of ginger biscuit.  Rich had eaten all the way round and had managed to keep a steady pace (first time running a distance like that on his own).  He'd been lucky enough to stay in sight of people all round, so he hadn't had the navigation nightmares that I had had, although the moorland track conditions were the same.  My legs felt amazing, nothing hurt (apart from my bumps and bruises) and my energy levels were good despite the lack of food.  Rich's calves were starting to ache a bit, but otherwise we were ok.

We made our way along forest tracks, talking all the while about our experiences so far.  We went through a freezing wet, snow bound wood, visited a checkpoint, then went towards the final moorland of the day.  Having crossed a river over an overflowing footbridge we were faced with 3-4 miles of ice/snow track and heather-bashing.  The wind was up and was cold.  After about half an hour of soul-destroying trudge, we stopped and put our thermal fleece layers on (part of the essential kit we had to carry).  It felt better just being a bit warmer.  Running keeps you warm, but as were we forced into trudge along an exposed moor, clothing was essential.  We eventually (and I mean 'eventually') got to the final beacon and check point at Two Howes.  Not long to go.  I had just had my 8th and final fall on the ice here, which brought tears and a "I'm really just about fed up of this snow now", when we picked up the track back down and the warming sight of Goathland Village.

Spirits picked up again and we ran all down the hill and along the final mile of road into the Village Hall.  Rich was struggling with his ankle and his calf, but he limped in. We completed the 28 miles in 7 hours 40 minutes and must've been about mid-field.  Some had pulled out cos of the weather conditions and there had been at least one broken shoulder and one broken ankle that we heard of.  Others were being bussed back from Stape.  Everyone reckoned that you needed to add about 1.5-2 hours this year for the snow.... and I think they're right.  Still, at least we were in during the daylight.  We both felt good.  I was pleased with the state of my legs (muscle-wise) and my fitness, and certainly feel more confident for the 90 in two weeks time!

Bruising on my knee... and you can just about make out the bruising on the shin too!

We had our meal (I knew I had to try to eat something) and whilst Rich ploughed into his pie, potatoes and peas, I managed to pick away at my quiche and potatoes.  At least I'd had something.  I couldn't get warm though, and despite two jumpers and two coats I was shivering like nobody's business.  Some of the oldies helping out made comments in the region of 'Parkinson's Disease' and being far too young for it.  We picked up our badges (really nice ones!) and certificates and walked the half mile back to the car. 

I drove the 2hrs 15 mins home then walked the dogs.  I lie... in fact I RAN the dogs.  My legs felt amazing so I ran round with them.  Rich was starting to stiffen up, so he stayed home and unpacked the bags.  Once home I stripped all the muddy stuff into the wash and jumped straight into a hot bath.  Bliss!  Muddy feet, but no blisters, sore spots or anything else.  My right knee is bruised, my left knee is bruised and lumpy (in two places) and I have a lovely long bruise right across my left shin.  Right hip has a big red mark and left hip has a bruise and some scratches from the ice.  Joy of joys! 

I managed a bit of tea, but not much, then went to bed about 9.30.  We were so tired.  Unfortunately I woke up with toothache (ongoing) at 2am, and eventually got up for tablets at 3am....which made me nauseous, resulting in my coming downstairs for a piece of toast.  Rather than disturb Rich I decided to stay on the sofa and put some TV on.  I watched some telly, but must have dozed off for an hour or so.  Managed a bit of brekkie, but still not feeling great.  On the plus side though, my legs feel amazing!  Slept in my recovery tights and they were great on the dog walk this morning - even going up the stairs over the motorway bridge. 

So - rest from running this week (Achilles sore again, but not as bad as last time) then will get out and do a bit of canal running next weekend.  Don't want to do too much now before the 90!!


Great badge.....kinda sums it up!

 In conclusion:  I enjoyed the Tandem as far as the terrain etc goes, and the concept is a novel one.  However, the weather this year was not great.  The bonus is that at least I have run on those surfaces now, and my muscles will have strengthened from the extra work load placed on them.  I would do it again (if it wasn't the last year this year).  It is 'ok' value for money.  The checkpoints were not well stocked - you really needed to carry all your own food, but the end meal was probably the best I've had at an event.  Total calorie burn for Saturday was 5180 (that's midnight to midnight - so includes non-running calories too) and I only managed to get 2400 cals in.

Just a quick one...

Just about to set off for the Tandem tomorrow.  It's quite a way away so we are staying in a Travelodge in York overnight.  Praying that it doesn't snow anymore.  I've spoken to the organiser and they're there, ready and waiting for us in the morning, so certainly not cancelled yet.  She says there is snow on the ground but roads are clear.

The Tandem is in its 27th and final year.  It's an odd event (which is why I fancied it) in that you run as a pair...... but only for the last 8 miles.  Basically you have a team mate.  You start at the same start point, but one does a 20 mile East loop from the start whilst the other does a 20 mile West loop.  Both loops meet at a Village Hall 8 miles from the start/finish.  You wait for each other there, and once you're together again, you set off for the finish.

We're not aiming for great times, just to get round.  This is one of Rich's longest runs and he's never run 20 on his own before (he's worried about pacing).  For me it's just miles on the feet ready for the 90 in two weeks time!  So....wish us luck, I'll update tomorrow or Sunday!

A real hangover this time.....

It's the last day of bad food/drink before healthy regime kicks back in following the Christmas excesses.... and it can't come early enough.  The hangover in the title refers to the feeling I was left with after the pub stop on our 'Christmas Cracker' walk (postponed from 19th Dec to today due to the adverse weather on the original date).

We met the group (LDWA East Lancs) at Rivington Barn and set off straight up the steepest way to Winter Hill.  Mine and Rich's legs were screaming slightly, but I tried to take my mind off it by picking the brains of various members that have done the Hundred or the Fellsman in previous years.  One of the members has done the Hundred 24 times, and there are a few others who have completed more than ten. 

Many were aghast that I was running it, except Chris (an avid runner and X-Country Ski-er who has run many Hundreds and came second at one of them).  His advice was to run it and get it over with quicker (ie less time on feet!).  Everyone has advised me to avoid going into the second night at all costs, and this is already in my plan.  I'm aiming for 36 hours, and anything under is a miracle.  A few had done the Fellsman and warned that it is tougher than the Hundred. 

I've managed to sort out a lift to the Hundred and overnight accommodation on the Friday night with the others from East Lancs (those that aren't competing are staffing the Breakfast Stop at Lydham.... Rich is hoping to get there at some point and help out for a couple of hours).  After the run, Rich will pick me up and we're having the rest of the week chilling in the caravan at a nearby site.

The walk was good, but too hilly for my legs today and I was glad to see the pub.  Bob Smithy's doesn't normally do food, but we paid our £3 each and got either Pie and Peas, or a Baked Potato (veggies).  It was ok, but the real pleasure was the Strongbow that I rewarded myself with.  Now, I have learnt from past experiences NOT to drink mid-walk, and decided to completely ignore all my good advice and drink TWO pints!  Grr!!!  So, I started the second half feeling quite merry, but also quite squiffy!  We cut the final hike up the Pike out of the walk and made our way to the car.  It only cut a short distance out, but a steep climb.... our legs thanked us for it! 

Me and Rich at the Pigeon Tower - Rivington

LDWA Christmas Cracker - 3rd January 2011 (pre-pub)

So, following the drive home, dog walk and bath, there's just time for our last bad food of the holiday (pizza....has to be done....) and an early night ready for work in the morning!!

No Hangover from the Hangover.....well....not much!

Slept in the recovery tights last night, and felt good this morning.  Rich's legs are very sore - lots of hobbling up and down stairs - but mine feel great.  Left Achilles is sore to touch (ie I can't wear boots today) but other than that we're fine.  Quads painful if you lean on them with your arms.... so I tried to avoid doing that today.  Very tired, but that lovely tiredness that only comes from a long run.

Finally got my entry sorted for the Fellsman, the entries were supposed to open on 1st Jan, but nothing was evident on the site.  After a couple of emails, I managed to download one today and got the entry in.  £23 is great value for such a fantastic event.  www.fellsman.org.uk if you want to check it out - 61 miles of rough country and very hard navigation!  I'm hoping to recce the night section at some point, but my calendar is filling up!!

Checked the Housman Hundred website today.  I've had my entry confirmed, and I'm glad as they filled up in record time meaning that only LDWA members have been able to enter this year (LDWA members get a month head start before it opens to non-LDWA).  Even the waiting list is full up now!  I always enter these events ridiculously early, but it does pay off. 

Been checking out the maps for next week - the 27th Tandem Run.  It's such an early start that we've decided to get a Travelodge in York so we don't have to be up so early on run morning (it would have meant setting off from home at 4.45am.... so a get up of 4am really for breakfast and dog walk)!  It's the last Tandem, and it sounds like a fun event, so I don't mind the extra expense.  I'm running the 20 mile West circuit, Rich is running the 20 mile East circuit, then we meet up at a village hall to run the last 8 miles together.  Rich is pretty nervous about running the first 20 on his own as he likes me to pace him - so he's set up a training partner on GPS to keep him steady to prevent him burning off and burning out by mile 10! 

So - we're doing the Christmas Cracker (belated...due to the poor weather on the original date of 19th Dec) which is about 15 miles of local walking with a festive pub stop half way.  It's a social with our LDWA club - East Lancashire - so will be lots of fun.  Many of them have done the Fellsman, so I'll be picking their brains throughout!

The Hangover that didn't disappoint....

Well, at 5.50am when the alarm went off, I could have quite easily turned over and gone back to sleep.  We went to bed at 10pm, but with all the fireworks etc from the celebrations, it's fair to say that we didn't really get any decent sleep until gone 1am, and the next minute, the alarm was bleeping!

Despite having sore hamstrings - a sofa related injury (don't ask) - I was really looking forward to the day.  The weather warned of a little light rain in the morning (it lied - it was a little light rain ALL day) and the temperature was above freezing - which seems like a real novelty at present!

The event is the Hangover Challenge run annually by the LDWA (Long Distance Walking Association) group 'The Irregulars' based in West Yorkshire.  Entry is a meagre £5 and you get 3 sheets of typed talkaround plus refreshments.  We always take a map, but in fairness, we rarely need it - they're pretty good at their stuff.  You get enough tea and toast to sink a ship at the start and refreshments at 5 places along the 21 mile route - juice, water, sausage rolls, biscuits, cakes and even some leftover 'Roses' chocs from Xmas.... bliss!

We arrived in enough time to mark up our map (we were provided with a 'Talkaround' but like the map as a back up) and have a cuppa coffee....we kept away from the toast - I really can't run on bread!  I managed a few ginger biscuits dunked in the coffee though, and we were ready!  We set off in the drizzle that remained with us throughout the day, but it was warm enough without being too warm.

The run starts from 'The Leggers Inn' on the canal in Dewsbury, Yorkshire.  The first 2 miles or so follow the canal, so it's a nice and gentle start to the run... plenty of time to warm the legs up.  The rest of the run up to mile 17 was a mixture of woods, fields, lanes and tracks, all pretty undulating with some long, fun downhills and a couple of punishing ups.... but not enough to make your heart really sink.  It was cold on the tops in the wind, but mostly we were pretty sheltered.  The ground was (as to be expected) pretty boggy, and all running across the fields resulted in 'clay overshoes' that weighed about 2kg a leg!  Bit of a nightmare and very draining on the legs.  Hard to wash off too.....

The state of our feet from the boggy ground...... mine are on the right..... obviously.... I hope!  The other half (bigger feet) has to tape his feet up to prevent rubs and blisters - hence the carpet tape!

The last four miles was on dreaded canal.  You can see ahead for miles, but never seem to be getting anywhere.  The 90 miler I'm doing in 2 weeks time is ALL on canal, and I fear brain-death by mile 20!  We trotted along using scouts pacing to keep us moving forwards.  My legs felt very good and my energy and CV fitness were great.  I could have done with some hillwork on my legs as I struggled a bit on the hills up, but I think this was partly due to the sofa-injured hamstrings.  Considering I hadn't run in a month, I was very pleased.  My left Achilles that has a tendency to play up was fine throughout, mainly due to me actually resting it for a change!!

We ran through the finish and collected our certificates and badges.  We were looking for 5-6 hours as a reasonable time considering we didn't know the terrain (if it was really hilly, 7 would have been reasonable), but we were thrilled to find we had completed it in 4 hours and 40 mins.  Not bad for the first trot out of the year. 

I think this wins a prize for the best badge....hilarious!

Came home, walked dogs before I dared sit down, then got into a hot bath (muddy clothes consigned to the wash bin).  After bath I talc my legs up and slip into my Skins Recovery Tights (invaluable) that I will remain in for at least 36 hours... usually 48 for a longer run.  They really do help the muscles to recover quicker, although I am sure I'll be a bit stiff tomorrow.  I've looked on the Fellsman website for the entry form (still not on there) and entered the Calderdale in April.... 2011 is going to be a busy busy year!

Post run diet?  Ummm... Mushroom Byriani, Nan Bread and an Onion Bhaji..... fab!  Ran today on porridge, ginger biscuits, ready salted crisps, a gel (for the electrolytes), a custard cream, a sponge cake slice and a toffee Roses Chocolate..... like ALL athletes!

So - to sum up - fab day, great company, lovely route, ok weather, horrible canals, lots of fun.  Looking forward to the Tandem 28 miler next week.... and may venture out for a short training run later this week..... may......