The Hardmoors Princess challenge 30/08/14

My first post and my first race in a terribly long time…
The Hardmoors Princess challenge is a 31 mile run which follows the Hardmoors 31 course traditionally run on New Year’s Day. It is spread across the beautiful Cleveland Way coastal path and the disused Scarborough to Whitby railway line. I had a bad year last year with injuries and so took time out to get healthy. I spent the whole summer getting strong, built a good base of fitness and decided it was time to test it out.
This was a small event to raise funds for the Scarborough and Ryedale Mountain Rescue Team with a field of approx. 70 runners. I was lucky enough to be given a lift to the race start by a kind volunteer who gave up her morning to help register runners.
The atmosphere at the start was much like other local races. Some folks jovially catching up with each other, whilst others were quietly get focused and ready. I didn’t know anyone and so happily did the latter. Looking at the runners there was lots of brightly coloured kit from Hokas to huaraches and there appeared to be plenty of experienced capable runners. They didn’t need to be intimidating as I psyched myself out, self-doubt passed through my mind at the start line, I picked apart my preparations and imagined these guys running off leaving me in a cloud of dust. But as soon as we set off this faded and I happily settled into my rhythm.

I know the course well, living in Scarborough and so I knew the first part of the run would be fast. Beautiful singletrack following the cliff top trail descends to the Hayburn Wyke. This section quickly passed, I soon reached the bay where treacherous steps descend before climbing steeply at the other side. Dry weather made this much less hassle and checkpoint 1 arrived quickly, I just ran straight through.
The next section was to follow the old railway line back to Ravenscar. This was a steady gradual climb back to our start point for checkpoint 2. The path was straight, surface hard-packed and much less interesting than the coastal path but I had the company of another runner to pass the time. It was nice to have company and we chatted all the way to checkpoint 2. Skipped it again and carried on.
Back onto the railway line and down to Robin Hoods Bay, we made quick progress to the third checkpoint. We separated for several miles, coming back together just before Whitby checkpoint 3. Here I topped up my soft flasks, grabbed some melon and carried on. To get through the busy streets my running partner ran behind me in the space I carved through the crowds. We headed up the iconic 199 steps to the Abbey then back onto the Cleveland Way. Again to pass the walkers I led and bellowed “excuse me!” in my friendliest voice. This section was a real highlight for me looking over the cliffs, the shipwreck broken on the rocks and the hidden caves. Just beautiful!
I became aware of my thirst, so gulped from my soft-flask. A short while later I realised I was running low. I eased the pace a little to make my fluid last till the next aid, as I didn’t want to blow up. My partner then pulled away slightly but remained in sight. The streets of Robin Hoods Bay came into view as I felt my left calf doing strange things. I wouldn’t say it was cramp, nothing seized up but the muscle was in spasm. I paused looked at my calf and it appeared to have the arms of a typewriter or the hammers of a piano drumming away inside. I was sure this was the result of not enough fluid and I hadn’t used any electrolyte tabs but I stayed at a steady pace and it soon passed.
Into Robin Hoods Bay and the final checkpoint. I topped up my water, this time added electrolytes but I think the damage was done. The crew fed me Jaffa cakes, told me I was 7th gave me my splits, they encouraged me saying I was guaranteed a top ten place. This picked me up and I pushed on, I had ran fairly fast up to this point because I knew that the end was tough and the climb would slow most folk to a walk whatever they had left in the tank. The last mile or so was steep as expected but the steadier pace earlier had settled the calf issue and before I left the Cleveland way for the road I felt strong again. I pushed up the final bit of road with the end in sight. I entered the hall to a round of applause from the crew and other runners, I felt a great and for a moment thought I could carry on running but that passed as my thoughts moved to food and water. I had arrived in 5 hours and made 7th place which far surpassed my expectations, I had only hoped to finish injury free.

 

After the race those in the village hall were warm and welcoming sharing their race day experiences, as more runners came in everyone stopped to applaud their efforts. It was beautiful race with stunning scenery, and I enjoyed racing on my local trails. The winners were presented with their awards and I was offered a lift home with a fellow runner. The Hardmoors family were a friendly bunch; the runners were supported well by a dedicated team of helpers and I’m looking forward to coming back and challenging myself further!

(I do not own and did not take the photographs in this post, they were kindly taken and shared by a volunteer, thank you to the photographer for this race memento)

Training for an ultra marathon…The Wall

This year I am aiming to run “The Wall” a 69 mile ultra marathon, I have my race entry confirmed:

I have entered the elite category, aiming to complete the whole thing in under 24hours. I have until June to prepare, so my daily routine is beginning to be dominated by exercise and eating. Our wonderful British weather is helping to keep things interesting, a week of running in the snow with my yaktrax has been great!

As I write this post more snow is falling and once my Friday at work is complete, I plan to spend the weekend hiking in the white stuff, more miles and more fun!

June seems an age away but I know how quickly it will arrive, so I am working hard to focus and prepare, if any experienced ultra runners have any advice it would be greatly appreciated, please leave comments…I need all the help I can get!

 

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Road ID: Wrist ID slim review

As a Christmas present in part to my wife and myself, I bought an ID band by road ID. I spend most of my free time running, biking, hiking, surfing, climbing or undertaking any number of other potentially dangerous outdoor activities.

Were I to come a cropper somewhere, I feel I owe it to my wife to have a means of getting what’s left of me back to her :-).

Since breaking my back in 2011 I am more conscious of the consequences when things go wrong. The accident failed to stop or even slow down my adventurous activities, they are what makes me…me, but I am now more open to having sensible measures in place to look after my well-being and give my family piece of mind.

About

• The ID band arrived quickly, even with shipping to the UK, it was beautifully packaged, presented and does exactly what it says on the tin.
• I opted for the Wrist ID slim, it has the lowest profile and it is great, in fact I forget its on my wrist. (They offer countless styles and colours)
• Weighing 0.1 of an ounce and being laser engraved, satin polished surgical stainless steel, the plate is fantastic quality.
• The wristband is a standard silicone wristband, they come in a variety of colours. The plate can also be fitted to other charity wristbands.
• I had opted to have contact numbers of next of kin engraved on mine.
• They also offer a number service, where for a small subscription fee they will keep medical info on a database, so if you are in an accident emergency services can get your history quickly.
• The stainless steel plate comes with a lifetime guarantee, it you wear it out you get a new one.

This product is cheap and so light it goes unnoticed. At worst it will give your family piece of mind and at best could save your life. I see no reason why all outdoor enthusiasts don’t have one!

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I need your help

14 peaks challenge

I have entered a draw to be part of a team who will be heading to Wales attempting to climb all of Snowdonia National Park’s 3,000ft+ peaks in five days. The challenge will also include taking in some of Snowdonia’s classic ridges walks, including the Snowdon Horseshoe. The selection process is a combination of public votes and judges decisions, please vote and help me out:

http://www.experience-tour.com/tour/fourteen-peaks-challenge/applicant/837/

All you have to do is click vote and then respond to the e-mail to prove you are human.

(The closing date for votes is 18th January 2013)

It would give me something really tremendous to feature on my blog!

Thank you for your support!!

 

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VivoBarefoot Off Road Hi Boot Review

I just don’t get along with boots.

In recent years I have had boots from Scarpa, Zamberlan and Salomon and all of them were great boots but I didn’t like to wear any of them.

I soon sold each pair.

Boots are heavy, stiff, uncomfortable, restrictive and they all felt like torture. I felt little connection to the ground I was walking, to me they all just felt clumsy. I then noticed that VivoBarefoot did a walking boot and after very positive experience with their trainers I decided to give them a go:

What they say

The Off Road Hi is a barefoot hiking boot like no other! Utilising our latest Off Road sole to provide the ultimate grip away from the pavements, you will still have a lightweight feeling and the flexibility you know and love. Added to that is a wholly waterproof shell with breathability. Suitable for: Conquering the wilderness.

Spec

– 2.5 mm Base, 4.5 mm Lugg Height

– 3.0 mm Press EVA Insole

– 303 g. With Insole

– 289 g. Without Insole

– Usage of Eco Friendly Materials

What I say

Firstly I have been using these boots for a year, they have walked hundreds of miles in all weathers and they are still my go to boot. All the other boots I tried were worn with my teeth gritted for a month or so, hoping they would bed in and some-how feel better, these on the other-hand were comfortable out of the box!

These boots have a pretty conventional look; with their high ankle support and brown leather they appear to be traditional walking boots, but their flexibility is so apparent folks have approached me wanting to know more about them.

Pros

• Light weight: these boots are  mutch lighter than conventional walking boots
• Flexibility: the sole and upper are so flexible that the foot behaves in a much more natural way, it does not feel restricted. Great for those with claustrophobic feet. The sole offers great ground feel and feedback improving balance, posture and reaction times.
• These boots offer good grip in a variety of conditions: the lugg pattern hooks up on mud but sheds it quickly and I have found these boots to cope far better with wet rock than any conventionally soled walking boots. this perhaps has a lot to do with the fact that the toes can spread and even grip surfaces through the shoe, that combined with a good choice of rubber compound for the sole.
• Durability: I have been wearing these boots for a year and they are still in great shape, regular cleaning and treatment of the leather has ensured that they will continue to serve me for a long time (if you where to wear them extensively on concrete expect the sole wear out faster)
• Eco-Friendly: I feel that the usage of Eco Friendly materials is a must and it’s great to see recycled and sustainable material being used wherever possible
• Crampons: Although their flexibility would prevent them from being used with full Crampons, I have used them with great effect wearing the Yaktrax Pro Micro crampons, I have found the combination good enough for most of the winter conditions I have faced and the two combined are much more comfortable than I expected.

Cons

• Toebox width: The toebox in these boots does not appear to be as wide as other models in the VivoBarefoot range, although this has not proved to be a problem for me, they seem a perfect match for my feet.
• Waterproofing: Although for the most part my feet have stayed dry, they have been breached on a couple of occasions. This may be due to the low Toungue Gusset. In June whilst in the lake district for a week it rained heavily every day, after about four days of this the boots seemed to have given up, others in my party wearing goretex lined leather boots stayed dry, I would say though that this was a small price to pay for the comfort they gave me and this was truly extreme weather.
• Sole coming away: I have experienced some separation between the sole and the upper where the foot bends, I have to say that ever pair of minimal shoes I have ever owned from every manufacturer has done this, it appears to be due to the nature of their flexibility, minimal construction and perhaps even the way I walk. This problem was easily remedied with some Shoe Goo, and I really don’t know how this problem could be avoided in the manufacturing process.

These boots are genuinely minimal with zero drop from heel to toe, no cushioning and an extremely flexible sole, so anyone not used to wearing minimalist footwear must cautiously increase mileage allowing their body the time to adapt. On Saturday I completed the Scarborough Rock a 24 mile hike, these boots did my proud. The conditions were muddy the mileage was high and my feet were dry and comfortable all the way round, what more could I ask For?

Scarborough Rock 05/01/13

On Saturday my wife and I took part the Scarborough Rock. It is a 24 mile hike up and down just about every hill in the Scarborough area. The route could be ran or walked and participants had to call at 11checkpoints to complete the challenge (there was also a shorter 16mile route).

 

The weather was beautiful, the terrain was undulating, and the ground was muddy. For each of the climbs we were treated to spectacular views and the organisation by the LDWA was fantastic.

 

Along the route there were aid stations with juice, tea and biscuits. Upon completion there was a pie at the village hall, followed by chocolate sponge and custard for the hungry participants.

 

This was the longest event Bex had ever done, it was hard work but we both had a wonderful day and Bex did tremendously well!

I'm really looking forward to the dog to being able to join our adventures and maybe next time Bex and I will run it 😉

What a fantastic start to the year!

 

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Mans best friend

Since my blog began, I have been following the blog for active outdoor dogs and Travels with the Blonde Coyote. Although not a dog owner I have a soft spot for animal stories and found those shared on these blogs heartwarming. Our home is a refuge for unwanted animals, we have rescued snakes, lizards and unwanted cats but until recently we had resisted getting a dog, we recognised that they are a huge commitment. All our other animals require feeding and tending to, but are otherwise pretty independent. Dogs on the other-hand are pack animals that require constant companionship and a much deeper investment to keep them happy.

I spend most of my time outdoors and didn’t want to get a dog and not give it the home life that it deserved. I have come to realise through reading about all the active outdoor adventure dogs, that a dog does need stability but it also needs exercise and stimulation, that is something any dog that joins me will have by the bucket load.

I have really taken the decision to get a dog seriously, to me it was a bigger deal than buying a house, but when a little pup needed a home I decided it was time. So I would like to welcome Eliza to my family and introduce her to my readers, I’m sure you will be seeing much more of her.

She has quickly found a place in our hearts and I cant wait to get her out with me on various adventures.

In the next year I have Ultra Marathons, Bike Tours, long distance hikes, Surfing, Canoe and climbing expeditions planned, hopefully she can enjoy many of these with me. Pretty typically of an outdoor adventure type, I have somewhat of a thing for kit and I cant wait to outfit her with some of Ruffwear’s finest gear!

Perhaps she will post some reviews on my blog in the near future?

My week in pictures: week ending 18/11/12

 

I thought I would try something a little different, so here in brief the picture highlights of my week. I will keep the text explanation to a minimum:

Pumpkin

In the wake of Halloween the bottom falls out of the overpriced pumpkin market and they become irresistibly cheep, although 99% of all pumpkins will be carved and then rot. I make it my personal mission to eat as many of them as I possibly can. They are low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol and Sodium. A good source of Vitamin E (Alpha Tocopherol), Thiamin, Niacin, Vitamin B6, Folate, Iron, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and a very good source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Riboflavin, Potassium, Copper and Manganese.

This week has involved gallons of pumpkin soup, paleo pumpkin pies and toasted pumpkin seeds galore!

Neil Gaiman: Neverwhere

I have begun to read Neverwhere and this macabre tail of literally slipping through the cracks into London’s dirty underbelly has me captivated, I am struggling to put it down but don’t want this book to end!

Yoga/ Pilates

I am doing my utmost to overcome a few niggley overuse injures I’ve acquired. I have prescribed myself a programme of rest mixed with body bending yoga and pilates. It seems to be doing the job, whilst also inadvertently making my abs chiselled 😉

Skipping

Holding back on the running is really difficult, so I’ve dug out my jump rope just to satisfy my urge to move around!

Dragonflies

This week I attended my first meeting of the Scarborough Field Naturalists’ Society. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming and there was a guest speaker who delivered a fantastic presentation on Dragonflies. Just a shame I will have to wait till spring for a chance to spot the discussed species.

Hiking

A long walk is not a substitute for running, but it is sure satisfying in its own right. A few hours in the open air away from folk helps put the weeks stresses to bed. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the animals by the riverbank preparing for winter.

leonid meteor shower 2012

Last night/this morning I laid  on my back lawn, in my sleeping bag, next to my beehive, looking up at the leonid meteor shower, the sky was crystal clear and I was treated to a satisfying display.

Cheeky Run

Today I snook in a cheeky 5k run, although I had planned to rest my weary legs, I felt I needed something to clear my head, and fingers crossed the body has not protested too much, perhaps I’m on the mend.

 

This post was strictly experimental, I would love your ideas on how I can improve things!

Loving Life

Happiness isn’t always easy.

A smile can be brought to my face by simply seeing the smile of another or a token act of kindness from a stranger holding a door open.

Temporary satisfaction can be found getting the latest object of my desires, those new trainers or that new book.

Temporary comfort can be found from eating a hearty meal or gorging on a sweet snack.

Working hard and achieving a goal can for a moment make me feel on top of the world.

I often feel impervious and invulnerable after a good run or workout.

But in between these moments my heart and mind can sometimes betray me, darkness can creep into the space these fleeting feelings of satisfaction once occupied. This darkness can cast a shadow over all the good in my world.

In these moments of pain and sadness you will continue to see me smile, when the odds seem insurmountable and life feels simply too hard I find a reason to keep going.

The suffering comes from pains of the past and anxiety, a fear of pain to be felt in the future.

I am learning to let go of the past and to not worry about the potential future. Living in the moment creates a peaceful mind in the now that will take me safely through anything that the future has to offer.

The outdoors bring a release for my troubled mind, the miracle that is the natural world energizes me and drives me too challenge it. Not fighting against nature but fighting to feel a part of it and feel everything it has to offer. For that I am thankful.

The power of nature can sometimes overcome me. Where a successful day of running Swimming or climbing can leave me exhausted, an unsuccessful day leaves me broken. When you give everything to feel all the world has to offer you experience highs and lows most can’t imagine. Few understand when successful the feeling of true peace and satisfaction or when unsuccessful the pain of a broken body does not compare to the anguish of self-doubt that follows.

Thankfully I’m not alone, at my worst even I can’t stand myself, but my wife is my best friend. She accepts the good with the bad and we share more than intimacy. We have moments of true synchrony. When out for a run, cooking a meal together or both happily sat in silence reading a book, there is a knowing that a fire burns in each of us for the other and it cannot be extinguished. When I’m riding those tremendous highs she is truly happy for me, but reels me in where necessary and when I’m feeling the lows she picks me up and never gives up on me.

Love Life

“I will become what I deserve” Liverpool Marathon 2012

Life is a challenge, I find maintaining a balance between work and play, or Relaxation and focus difficult. I am at my best when I have structure and a challenge to focus on. I have run for years and always wanted to but always delayed the challenge of a road marathon. I put together an intense programme to which I stuck to religiously, minus resting between workouts. All too often my interests evolve into obsessions and this was no different. Work was already busy, together with my desire to do well in the marathon I neglected my rest time whilst preparing. I tried to make the most of every day, this  lead to me doing things that were not always best for me, like 65 mile off-road rides on my only weekly rest days (I curiously convinced myself that as-long as I was not running I was resting). Despite this abuse I became stronger and was feeling ready, then just two weeks before race day I injured my foot pushing hard on a 16 mile training run.

It was the return of a problem I had encountered several months before, this problem had resulted in foot pain and me having to abandon several races during the spring. After all the effort I was not willing to give in, I called a local podiatrist to see if there was anything that could be done to get me through the race. He informed me he could make some orthotics that could stop the problems for a price, so I bought the bullet and the insoles, I was willing to try anything to get to the finish line.

The last few weeks before the race the training tapered and this slowly led to the foot feeling a little better, I decided to give things a go….

Race day came around and after staying at the youth hostel the night before I was soon on the start-line waiting for the gun, my ideas of target times were put on the back burner, I was determined to just finish the race. The confidence I developed through training and seeing my body become stronger had taken a knock. Whilst waiting for the race to start I could feel nerves and self-doubt kick in.  I closed my eyes and began to breath deeply. I allowed the thoughts of failure to manifest themselves one at a time, before removing them from my mind. I finally settled on one single thought, the lyrics of a song that had stuck with me:  “I will become what I deserve”.

With this the only thought in my mind I settled my gaze ahead continued to breathe purposefully, I corrected my posture and felt myself grow an inch, the gun fired and the race began.

Within three miles the foot issue made its presence felt. I could feel heat resonating from the ball of my foot, it became apparent the my magic insoles were both ridiculously expensive and worthless at the same time. Despite this my resolve seemed strong and I was able to carry on, through the first half of the race I felt good. I was able to carry a reasonable pace and at about mile 12 entered the original Mersey Tunnel, a highlight for me passing beneath the river on foot, as we approached the other end of the tunnel I could hear crowds cheering and drums beating. I could feel the power of the drums through my feet and reverberating in my chest. This charged me and I genuinely felt fresh. I was carried by this all the way to mile 17, the bottom of a hill the event organizers referred to as Heartbreak Hill. It was steep, but still feeling strong I was able to power up. This marathon was clearly a trickster and many folks had been caught out by the fact that all the serious climbing was to be done in the second half of the race. This reduced most folks to walking. I found myself overtaking many helping my confidence, by mile 23 I began to notice the foot again, the many down-hills that followed the climbing had seemingly irritated it further and my pace had clearly slowed. I had to use every bit of resolve to keep going but this only seemed to last for a mile or so, my head cleared and it was apparent that I would finish, with this I mind I was determined to finish strong, the last mile felt like one of the quickest I have run, I crossed line feeling good at 3:39 exactly.

After the race I felt a little melancholy, I was elated to have finished and under the circumstances I was very happy with my time, but on reflection the result was not the real achievement. The race itself and the finishers medal were simply an affirmation of all the hard work and effort I had put in. The real achievement was the effort and dedication I had shown to get there. Next to the hours of training and hard work, no single race result even 1st place would have lived up to the hype I had created in my mind, or the resolve I had shown to get there. When I broke my back 14 months ago I wrote a list of things I wanted to do once I recovered (perhaps I will upload it to the blog one day). This my first marathon was something high on that list. Like everything I do, I didn’t make it easy for myself. One day perhaps I will find the “middle way” and get the balance right but I doubt it. Something I do know is that the journey is always more rewarding than arriving at my destination and that the hunger I have for adventure means I want to move on to the next as soon as I complete a challenge.

Next Ultra or Iron-man?