Ultratrail26 Grizedale 27.5m 2012

This was a new race organised by the same people who organise the Lakeland 50 and 100.

I have had a cough about ten days ago which has been hard to shake off and I knew it would affect this race. I found myself more breathless than usual and hills which wouldn't normally be too difficult felt much harder. There were also lots of hills on this race!

The route was basically a figure of eight with the start, finish and the only checkpoint at the centre of the eight. The organisers had provided a GPX route which I had downloaded to my Garmin and my GPS. There was a map provided and a road book (written instructions) and the course was very well signed, so there was little chance of getting lost.

The first 12m was in the western part of Grizedale Forest and it was almost all on forest road some which I had covered in the Lakeland Trails marathon (but in the opposite direction). It was more hilly than I expected, but it didn't feel too bad and we made it back to the checkpoint/start/finish in about 2hr 15min. All good so far.

As we left the checkpoint a marshall said 'that is the easy part over, the next bit is harder'. I often take what a marshall says with a pinch of salt - we have probably all heard 'It's all downhill now ...' when there are still hills to come. But this one was definitely right!

It started with a climb up a rocky path and then the route started to climb north on the eastern side of the forest. The forest roads changed to a forest path and it started to rain. There were some substantial puddles which meant it was pointless trying to keep our feet dry. We made our way down a steep path to Esthwaite Water and then onto a section of the Windermere marathon course. Then it was on up to Near Sawrey and onto the hills to the east and on to a section of the Lakeland Trails Hawkshead route (but in reverse). Past the beautiful Moss Eccles Tarn, through a tricky path down to the start of the Coffin Trail. Going up the Coffin Trail is tough, going down when it is wet and the slippy rocks are covered in leaves is very tricky. We made it and enjoyed the section alongside Lake Windermere. Then up the hill we normally run down at Hawkshead and then down to Far Sawrey. I was expecting just one more climb back into the forest, but no, there was three more climbs, mainly on rocky muddy paths. Finally we climbed up into the forest again and there was a tough section south and then north again (with plenty of undulations).

By now it was dark and our head torches came out as we started the final rocky steep descent.

We finished in 6hr 28min 21sec. It was 27.5m in total. The second 15.5m loop took us 4hrs, the second loop was so much harder than the first one. I had underestimated how tough this race would be (I had thought we might finish in about five an half hours).

Melanie did great. This was her first marathon since her last operation and her longest run since then has been 13m, but she just kept going! She also put up with my grumpy phase at the 20m point! It was her fourth marathon this year and my sixteenth and that's it for 2012, everything else will now be shorter distances.

Newcastle Town Moor marathon 2012

I felt quite optimistic about this race. I put the fact that this would be my third marathon in four weeks to the back of my mind.

Just before the start I came back to earth and I decided to tag along with the Striders 10.5min/mile bus. I decided it would be much more enjoyable and I could always speed up a bit later on. This was also the fourth time I had done this race which was five laps around a not very scenic moor, so I thought being on the bus would help with the mental side. 

This certainly worked. The bus started with six runners, but this race had a high casualty rate on our club runners. Shortly into lap 2, the first one pulled out with a dodgy stomach. The second one went shortly after the end of lap 2 and the third soon after. That left three of us on the bus. We soon passed another runner from our club who was retiring with back problems. Soon after halfway, one of the other two stopped to take a stone out of her shoe and I found myself alone, but expecting them to catch me up very quickly. It didn't happen for another lap. Because of the bus, my first three laps were very consistent, 55mins for each of them. I speeded up a bit on lap 4 and did 50min, partly because one of the bus members, G, had caught me up and we ran together for the last part of that lap.

Each lap we passed Fetchpoint (PenW and Scribbler) who were great and the Striders cheering point - at least six clubmates had come just to cheer. Their numbers were swelled by those runners who had pulled out so by the end of lap 4, there was a lot of noise as we went by. Most of them were singing Happy Birthday to G who had chosen to spend her birthday running her second marathon.

By the start of the final lap I knew I was in trouble, I could not keep up with G. So I walked sections. The wind was also picking up and it started to rain. I also walked up the hill having run up it the previous four times - this has happened every time I have done this event.

The route was muddier than the other times I have done it, but most of it was on tarmac paths so it wasn't an issue. I came in with 4hr 43min my worst performance there, not great, but I think it was largely down to lots of recent marathons and not good preparation for them.

This race is very social, you quite often see other runners (apart from the time they lap you ...) and it was good to see clubmates and Fetchies. The marshalls were as ever fantastic (at least three of them have stood at the same place out on the moor for every running of this event) and it was good to see KateS helping at the drinks station.

I was getting changed at the Striders cheering point when the organiser cycled over and asked if I was still there. Yes, I said and was astonished to hear I had won a prize - 3rd place MV60 ! A nice trophy too  A good end to the day

Adventure Hub Norfolk Coast marathon 2012

I missed doing a stage of the Round Norfolk Relay this year and as we were visiting a friend in Norwich it seemed a good idea to fit in a race along the North Norfolk coast. I expected it to be flat, but it started on a heath above the coast and we ran down to the coast. As it was an out and back course I knew I had the climb at the end to look forward to.

We hit the coast and and 2m stretch of shingle beach. This was very hard work, as bad as running in sticky mud but you come out with clean shoes. Luckily I missed some it by keeping inland as much as possible - although I had not run this stretch before, I had seen other runners on the Relay taking an inland route. It was a bit muddy in places, but far better than the shingle. But you couldn't avoid all the shingle. Finally it ended and I got to the first checkpoint.

From there to the turn around point, it was easy going, hard paths, little wind, a bit of sun, but not too much and lovely views. After a cup of tea and biscuit I started back. There were still runners coming towards me and some were carrying on along the coast as there was also a 100K event, so the marathon was just the short event !

About two thirds of the way into the event, I started to feel the after effects of doing Kielder six days ago. My legs became very tired and the shingle beach sapped even more energy from my legs. The gentle climb back to the heath and the finish seemed steeper than it was. It felt good to finish and I was happy with my time of 4hr 49min

Kielder marathon 2012

This was my seventh race around Kielder and my second time at this event organised by Steve Cram. Like last year and as at the Sunderland marathon, it was well organised. The numbers of people participating seemed to have risen this year and I met a few who were doing their first marathon. The scenery on the course is great, but it is a hard event as the Lakeside Way, which the race follows, is continually up and down.

I was aware that my last marathon was almost two months ago and I have only run a 13m route since then, so the aim was to start at the back and just get round. I also have the Norfolk Coastal marathon in six days so I didn't want to do any damage.

Starting at the back was a good idea, the early narrow stretches were not as crowded as they were last year. I had decided to walk all the hills, even the one just after the start and that approach seemed to work well.

Last year I got to the dam at 17m and felt great, so I thought I speeded up and overtook lots of runners. Looking at the times later I realised I was just running at the same speed, it was just that other runners were slowing down because the relentless climbs had taken energy from their legs. This year I found the same thing happened and I was passing lots of people. It was all going very well until 3m from the end when my calf pinged alarmingly. I backed off immediately as I didn't want to do any damage and plodded the last miles. To my surprise my time of 4h 52min was about what I normally would do at Kielder, I was expecting something closer to 5hr 30min before the start.

Sue had a fantastic run and knocked many minutes off her previous run at Kielder. I think Bill was taking it relatively easy because of an injury. Andrew and Maggie also had good runs.

Northumberland Coast marathon 2012

The weekend started with me tail running at Durham parkrun. Most Saturdays at Durham the tail runner does run, but for my fifth time, I had two walkers who were a long way behind the last runner. However, they did better than some of the walkers I have followed,clocking a time of about 54min - I have had two sets who have taken an hour or more. I think everyone is welcome at parkruns and not running was probably a good way for me to prepare for the following day

Melanie did a good time and as usual at Durham we had breakfast with lots of friends and clubmates at the university sports centre which is the HQ for the Durham parkrun.

On the Sunday I left early to get to the start at the lovely village Alnmouth - Melanie was not running this one, though she would have done if she had been able to get a number - the organiser said he could easily have added a couple of hundred more runners who wanted to do it.

The route is an out and back to the bridge just south of Beadnell. It basically follows the Northumberland Coastal Run route, a very popular run which goes from Beadnell to Alnmouth, but with the vast majority of the road sections replaced by trail. It passes a spectacular ruined castle, a lovely seaside village and goes along some beautiful beaches.

There were about eighty runners at the start with a large contingent from the Porter Valley Plodders from Sheffield who were using it as a club day out. It was hot with no wind at this point, so I knew it was going to be tough. Jovi runner was a bit unsure about the route, so she ran with me for about 4m after which the route is pretty straightforward. There is no way I could keep up with her even though she is on a come back from injury. However, I continued at a pace which was probably too quick and I got to halfway in 2hr 14min which was almost exactly the time I had done on the Coastal Run four weeks ago. I felt that I might suffer because of this and I did. Soon after turning back the sky clouded over and a slight head wind started, but the wind was not the reason I slowed, it was just going too quick in the hot first half. On the way back I really suffered from Dunstanburgh Castle until Boulmer in the same way I suffered from Boulmer to the end last year. I could see a sub 5hr time disappearing, not a disaster but it would nice to be sub 5. Then suddenly after Boulmer something changed and I ran the rest of the way and came in with 4hr 53, so I was happy with that time overall.

Looking back I don't think I spent enough time looking at the scenery this time. It is stunning and I think I was taking it for granted on this run. Must do better

Then it was a quick change and a drive home and off to the staff barbecue at the Castle. A bonus was a heavily discounted overnight stay in the poshest suite in the Castle  The evening was good though in the middle of the evening I was so tired, I had to have a nap for an hour !

Elsecar Skelter 27m 2012

What a great event this is. Miles of lovely scenery, not too many long hills, great views, well stocked checkpoint (biscuits, sandwiches, canned fruit in bowls, bananas and apples and of course lots of cake at two of them). Pie and peas at the end and all this for £8.50

The views from Wharncliffe Craggs are very special. The many follies and churches are also interesting and helped me to forget how far we had to go - I kept being surprised at how far we had come.

No cramp this week and we were able to make good progress finishing in 5hr 23min which knocks 35min of Melanie's pb (she has only done LDWA marathons so far - road marathons and their water stations are going to be a bit of a shock !). It is her third marathon and second within six days. I think she is hooked

I made one mistake. I got a bit complacent with the route and blindly followed the route I did two years ago without looking at the map or the route description. We ended up going through shoulder high nettles and both our legs were throbbing for the rest of the day from all the stings. Looking at the route description later, we missed a new right turn, but we soon picked up the route again

I hope they run it again next year, we chatted to the organiser and encouraged him

Photos

Dovedale Dipper 26m 2012

Yesterday we went to do the Newcastle parkrun to see Chris and Caroline Renton. It was good to see them both for a catch up. We ran with PenW and it was great to chat with her.

We headed off soon after the finish and dove down to Matlock and had a look around the town before heading off to our night's accommodation.

Up early and on to Hartington for my second Dovedale Dipper. Plenty of people I knew there and chatted to them and some other runners. Started at 10 and we noticed fairly quickly that the ground was pretty wet and it was much muddier than last year. We were making good progress, but just after the steep hill at 15m I started to get cramps in both calves. I slowed down and walked more. It had started to rain in the second half and it was pretty heavy in places. MelanieLH was getting cold so she went on to keep herself warm. She did great on her second marathon and finished just under 6hr. I struggled, the calf cramps seemed to have taken lots of energy out of my legs. But I made it, 6hr 25min.

Hopefully it should go better next week

Osmotherley Phoenix 26m 2012

There is a lovely atmosphere at this event, it is held in conjunction with the Osmotherly Summer Games and they block off the main street so that all sorts of stalls can be put up. The only downside to the event is that the car parking is at least a mile away from the start/finish. It is not too bad before the start, but it is a bit harder at the end ...

It was also great to see many people from the Hardmoors events and Kev Scone who we bumped into several times during the first half 

The route follows the Cleveland Way for the first half. There was a lot of mist about and there were times you couldn't see very far ahead. The rocks were slippery and MelanieLH fell on the descent from Scarth Wood Moor, but luckily there was no damage. We got to Scugdale and the first manned checkpoint which had wine gums and jaffa cakes. 

We then started the long drag up to the top of Carlton Bank but we missed out on all the views as the mist was down and we could only see about 50 yards. Then the tricky descent to Lordstones cafe which we took slowly because the rocks were slippery. There was another checkpoint at the bottom with slabs of malt loaf, flapjack and chocolate covered rice crispies. We couldn't resist.

After the cafe you could choose to go over Cringle Moor, the next hill (what is that called ?) and Wainstones or you could contour round all three. We chose to contour round  but that route is always muddy, today it was just a quagmire. We rescued a whole group of runners who had contoured round Cringle Moor and were about to head off up the next two hills without realising. Down to Clay Bank and more food 

Then another big climb up Carr Ridge and to Round Hill followed by a lovely descent to Chop Gate and yet more food  The hill out of Chop Gate is a monster, especially having run 16m at this point. Then it was paths through the heather which were hard to run on they were so muddy. I lost my enthusiasm at this point, but I knew I would get better after a couple of miles and it did once we had got to the Wheat Beck checkpoint (and you guessed it, more food)

The next bit to Oakdale Head I hadn't done before as I have done the 33m route when I have done this before and that goes off in a different direction at Wheat Beck. We went up to another moor which again was very boggy. This was MelanieLH's time for a low mood, she wanted it over now, it was her first marathon and she wanted it to be finished.

Once we got to Oakdale Head and we could see Osmotherley in the distance, she was fine and we headed mainly downhill to the finish. She was very happy to finish, it has been only four months since she finished radiotherapy, she has done amazingly well to recover so quickly from that. It was great to run with her on her first marathon 

Photos

Hamsterley Forest marathon 2012

This clashed with the Lakeland Trails marathon that I enjoyed last year, but as Hamsterley was nearer and it was the first time it had been held, I thought I would give it a go. As the date got nearer I remembered that last time I ran through Hamsterley in June the midges had been awful so I was beginning to think I had made a error. As it turned out they weren't a problem for me ay all, but one runner was covered in bites.

Crazy Lady from my club asked if she could run with me. As she is faster than me I didn't think she would stay with me too long, but she stayed until 23m and then sped off. I think I probably ran a bit faster then I would have done on my own

The course started with 2m flat section along road followed by 3 laps of 7.5m ending with the same 2m back to the start/finish. Each lap consisted of 3 climbs uphill to halfway and then a lovely gentle 3.5m gentle downhill section. We walked all the hills and then made good time on the downhills.

The weather was pretty good, there was a bit of wind but on the climbs we were sheltered by the trees and and on the downhills it was behind us  Very light drizzle now and then but that helped to keep us cool. Plenty of water stations and marshalls and even a fetchpoint consisting of Jovi Runner and Nrgee - thank you for your encouragement 

Another well organised North East Marathon Club event

Very pleased to finish under 5 hours - 4h 51min

Karrimor Great Trail Challenge marathon 2012

The first time for this event and you could do various different events: marathon, half marathon and 10K either running or walking). MelanieLH, Yusuf and I drove over for the day to Keswick. We were lucky enough to get a parking place near the start/finish field. The main spectator area was a bit of a quagmire, but there was an enormous start/finish gantry, plenty of catering a secure baggage area (but outdoors !). The work 'Great' in the title of this event indicates it was organised by the the same people who do the GNR. Entry was expensive and the tee-shirt was cotton which is no surprise for these events. However on the plus side, it was well marshalled, signposted, plenty of water stations and chip timing.

Yusuf and I were doing the marathon and Melanie was doing the half, which set off 30min after the marathon. The marathon had about 70 runners and it consisted of two big laps and two small laps in that order (the half was one big, one small). We did a loop of the field before heading for the old railway line and running east and ascending gently. I usually love running along this bit, but after four trips along it today, I wasn't quite so fond of it the fourth time. What I like about is the numerous bridges over the river which was in full flood. We turned off at the same place as the Lakeland Trail Derwentwater race (LTDR) but went right instead of left and climbed a fairly big hill before turning down the way the LTDR comes up, then a sharp right uphill before a nice undulating section through woods until we hit Lonscale Farm. The climb up Lonscale Fell was one of the hardest climbs I have done in a trail race. Unrunnable. Finally got to the the trail the LTDR comes down on and then headed towards the Latrigg car park and then plunge down to Keswick. 

As I was climbing up Lonscale Fell I was seriously thinking of stopping at the end of lap 1 (7.9m). The thought of that climb again was not something I fancied. However the plunge down from Latrigg brightened my spirits and I realised when I got to the end of lap 1, that I could do it again. It wasn't so bad the second time.

The third time was the short lap and after the railway line we turned left and climbed directly towards Latrigg although when we reached the top we skirted the top and came back to the Latrigg car park. Still it was quite a climb.

At the start of the fourth lap it seemed clear I would finish somewhere between 5 and 5hr 30, so I ran/walked the railway line, climbed the hill and took it easy on the descent to Keswick. 5hr 18, I am happy with that on such a tough course.

Would I recommend it (I seem to be the only Fetchie doing it this year). Not strongly, it is not as good as the Lakeland Trails marathon in my view. The laps make it seem harder, you run past the finish three times before you finish. I have done plenty of marathons which involve laps but for some reason I just didn't enjoy the laps here (maybe because they were so tough)

Would I do it again ? Hmm, possibly not, but I have said that before immediately after finishing.

Yusuf did a great time 4hr 52 on his last marathon before returning home. MelanieLH found the half marathon tough but did a great with 2hr 16min 

Brathay Windermere marathon 2012

I joined the Striders in August 2005 with the mindset that at the ripe old age of 54, it was far too late to start running marathons. This resistance lasted just over a year until the Autumn of 2006 when someone sent round an email about a new marathon round Windermere. I was very tempted, so I thought that if I was going to do one marathon, what could be more scenic than running round Windermere. Anyway May seemed a very long way away...

So I entered, did some training and in May 2007 turned up at the lovely Brathay Hall next to the lake. It was a lovely location, the organisation was great and there was a great atmosphere. My children came and watched their Dad do his one marathon. Everything went fine until 21m, I was enjoying it, but soon after I was hit by cramp and my training was shown to be inadequate. The last few miles were tough. Still it had been a lovely day and I had completed a marathon and there was no way I was going to do another one. My daughter reminds me of this frequently.

Six months later the pain had receded in my memory and I entered Windermere again and more marathons and ultras after that. In 2011 I went slightly mad and completed thirty marathons or ultras in my sixtieth year. This year I am going to take it easier, but running the Windermere marathon has always been on my list, so I was back for my sixth time round the lake and my sixty fourth marathon/ultra.

The event is always preceded by truly amazing people who run the course ten times in ten days with the final day on the day of the marathon. As usual I went over early on day 9 to see the runners on the route, a few of whom I know. One of them was doing the event for the fourth time, that is forty times round the lake ! Melanie came with me and we found it pretty cold on the Saturday. There were eighteen runners doing the ten in ten this year and they all finished, but it was very hard work for some of them. Some of them were out there for eight hours on some days, which does not leave much time to recover before the next day. I have been tempted by this event especially before they set off for the final day, but once I am out there on the course, my enthusiasm evaporates. It is a very scenic but it is a hilly course and the thought of doing that route every day, well not for me.

The weather on the day of the marathon was much warmer, sunny and no wind. I saw the ten in ten runners off, they start an hour before the main event, and chatted to other marathon runners who I have met at other events around the country. There was a rolling start which was new for this year. The runners were led down to the start and as soon as the first ones got there, the gun was fired. It was chip timed so that was fine

The first half down to Newby Bridge went fine, though it was a little warm. Fortunately, the clouds came over at that point and that made it easier. The third quarter of the race I always find hard. There is a 4m stretch of tough undulations on the way to Bowness. These took a toll on me and it slowed my pace. I got back in 4hr 39min, my slowest time there, but I know I am not in the best shape at the moment, probably too many races. I had a bottle of specially brewed ten in ten beer at the end, the nearest I will come to doing that event !

Marathon of the North 2012

Well this weekend could not have been much better  

Saturday: We were up early to go back to Middlesbrough Albert Park parkrun where my parkrunning began. It was my 17th run there and it was great to be back on what is still the fastest NE parkrun course that I have done. We took it easy, but speeded up a bit towards the end  Afterwards we had coffee and a toastie in the cafe in the visitor centre 

Sunday: Sunderland marathon. Up ever earlier and met up with lots of clubmates who were doing this event or the 10K. I think there were 17 clubmates doing the marathon and about another 10 doing the 10K. Our club captain, alisterrobson, was leading a 10 and half minute mile pacing group for several club members who were doing their first marathon. I had thought of going a little quicker, but as I wasn't feeling too sharp, I thought I would tag along and enjoy their company. It was great, the course has many sections where you see the runners ahead of you and we were cheering on other runners we know and especially other clubmates.

We stuck together until about 15m when we lost one runner off the back and about a mile later two runners went off the front. Then without really noticing me and G went off the front. We were going a little faster, but not much. At 18m we went past the Stadium of Light (start and finish) and it was hard seeing other runners finish as we had another 8m to go ! The weather was much warmer than forecast and I was slightly overdressed which didn't help. Soon after 18m G dropped behind and I was on my own on the way out to the coast. When I got there I realised that I was coming back the same way but that the back leg would have some hills and be into the wind, so I tried to go as fast as I could (given this was about 22m in !) on the outward leg. The return leg along the coast was tough, but I kept going resisting the temptation to walk. My splits did go over 11 for a couple of miles here, but the rest has been in the 10s, so I was very happy to finish in 4h 36min, pretty much 10 and half minute pace overall.

The route had more hills than I expected and it was warmer than forecast, but there few organisational difficulties for a new event. The support from clubmates and Fetchies out on the course was just great 

Monday: Tees Barrage 10K. I like this race, it is a flat scenic route along the river Tees, the only hills being the bridges you have to cross. I hadn't really intended to enter, but there was a mixup (see MelanieLH's blog) and I was in, so I thought I would take it very gently. I started this race slowly as my legs felt very heavy, but after about 1K they felt fine and we were able to speed up. We finished in 53min 21sec. Not quite the gentle run we had planned. It was great to see Muddyidiot and Lisa_T again, I haven't seen them for ages.

MelanieLH ran the parkrun and the Tees barrage with me and also the 10K at Sunderland. It is the first time she has run three days in a row and she did fantastic, it is easy to forget that she was having daily radiotherapy just over two months ago

Bath Beat 2012

Last summer I decided it might be a good idea to contact an old schoolfriend. Through the wonders of Facebook, I found him and and we exchanged a few messages and he invited me down to Bath, where he now lives (we had been at school in St Albans). That sounded a good idea, but just a little scary. I hadn't been in contact with him for forty one years, would we still get on ? Would we still have things in common ??

I thought it might be a good idea to combine the visit with a race and looked around for a marathon in Bath and I found what sounded a lovely Long Distance Walkers Association (LDWA) event, the Bath Beat. So last Friday I headed down to Bath by train. I had visited the city previously for work reasons but never had the time to look around. I decided to do the tourist thing and go on open topped bus tour - my friend was not getting home until 6 so I had a bit of time to kill. The tour was good and also took me past the start of the race so it was enjoyable and useful.

Then to meet my friend.... I needn't have worried, we got on just as well as we did forty one years ago. We each reminded each other of events that had receded deep into our memories. When the other one of us mentioned them the memory popped up in the other. A very enjoyable evening.

The race itself was typical LDWA. Start anytime between 7.30 and 9.30 and they recorded your time as you left. I left on my own at about 8.40. No flags or signs on the route, just a route description and a gpx track which I had downloaded to my Garmin. I would have liked to have just followed that, but I had to use the route description as well because some of the checkpoints were unmanned and unmarked out there on the ground, so you had to be aware of where you were on the route description so that you could identify the checkpoint. How did they know you had visited the checkpoint ? Well you had to answer questions about it - for example, what is the number on the lampost, who is the bench dedicated to?

Lots of friendly walkers to pass on this event, but you couldn't rely on following them as there were four different distances and the routes were diverging and merging. If you have been to Bath, you will know its hilly and this route certainly covered some hills, even the fastest runner took over 4 hours to complete the course. We passed through some lovely countryside, attractive villages and very well stocked checkpoints, a great selection of food.

My legs weren't in the best shape after the Hull marathon six days earlier, so I took it easy, walking up anything that was going upwards. About three miles from the end I realised I could possibly get under 6 hours and I had over thirty minutes to do it in. Just keep plodding along and I would do it. However, there was a long killer hill near the end and that put paid to sub 6. A very enjoyable run :-)

I was planning to get the bus back into Bath but one of the organisers very kindly gave me a lift back Very impressed with that !

Photos

Hull marathon 2012

Melanie and I travelled down on the Saturday as the race started at 8 and we certainly did not fancy getting up very early on Sunday morning, driving down and registering. There was a four hour window to collect numbers between 10 and 2 on Saturday, which wasn't the best times they could have chosen. This was the first running of this event and there were bound to be teething problems, but there did seem to be a lot. The route was hard to follow on the maps on the website, there was confusion about the start time, they used the wrong postcode for the start in one email, the leading runners were apparently directed the wrong way and ended up 3 miles short and one Fetchie missed out a four mile loop and no marshall spotted it ! The organisers need to polish things quite a bit of they are going to do it again. Having said all that, I enjoyed the race as those issues didn't affect my race. 

After collecting my number (and bumping into TripletDad who went on to run a great pb the following day 😀 we went for lunch in the Ferens gallery and looked around and then went on a museum tour. I lived in Hull for four years and have a lot of affection for the place, but it is thirty two years since I left and there were some bits I just didn't recognise. There lots of new bits for me such as the marina, the Deep and the promenade along the estuary (more of this later).

We were staying at the city Centre Premier Inn which was built on top of car park, so reception and the restaurant were on floor 7 with a view of the estuary and the tidal barrier on the river Hull 😀 Our room was on floor 12 and faced the same way 😀 So we ate in the restaurant and enjoyed the views. They also started breakfast early at 6.30 because of the marathon 😀

After breakfast, where I bumped into Plodding Hippo (it was the sort of event which attracted lots of familiar faces 😀) we went to the start and met up with my clubmate Andy80 and to our surprise another one, Y arrived and it was his first marathon. I think he only got the number at short notice, but Y seems to be able to adapt to most events and put in a great performance for a first marathon 😀 It turns out he has never run more than 14m before, amazing.

I started nearer the from than I would have liked so I hung back a bit and took it nice and easy. After a loop we returned to the start where I stopped next to M to get my base layer off and put back on my long sleeved Fetch shirt. I had thought it would be colder than it was, but I was already warming up and I knew I would not be seeing M again until about 20m.

After a fairly dull section on a road out of the city we turned to do a loop of the KC stadium grounds and I could see I was catching Y and it turned out he was sticking with the 4hr 30min pacer. I didn't have any ambitions for this race, though under 4ht 30min would be great outcome for me. So I decided to stick the pacer as well. It worked fantastically and there was a group of of about nine of us who stayed with him until about 18m. Then Y disappeared ahead into the distance, I stuck with him and everbody else had dropped off the back. It was great to let somebody else be in charge and to run in a group, not to surge ahead as I was tempted to. I kept a check on progress and it was good.

In the meantime, we had a bit of climb up the road leading to the road leading to the Humber Bridge and then onto the Bridge itself. It was pretty misty, we could hardly see the other side and the bridge is certainly not flat ! We reached the other side and returned on the other walkway. The pacer was keeping a steady pas as far as I could see, no change on the uphills or downhills. I realised before the start that I had left my S-caps at home so I was going to have to rely on shot blocks and I decided a disciplined approach was in order, one every twenty minutes after forty minutes. Again this worked well. In the first few miles my calves felt tight and I was concerned that they might tweak as they had done at the end of Kielder two weeks ago, but I got through with no problems.

We went into Pearson Park and did a loop there. This was almost offroad and was a welcome relief. Then came the worst bit a seemingly endless loop through an industrial estate. Finally we made it to the attractive marina at about 20m where M was waiting and it was great to see her and know there was not far to go. 

Soon after that to my surprise the pacer ripped off his pacer badge on his back and seemed to stop. I guess he must have developed an injury, but it was a bit of surprise and I had to wake up and take responsibility for my own time. First thought was, well I have run this far at the correct pace, I am not going to let it slip now, so determination drove me on.

At about this point we had a long out and back section along the estuary promenade. It was great to see other runners and some familiar faces coming back the other way. It didn't take me long to realise that they were suffering because they had wind in their faces.... So I needed to make all I could of the wind behind me before coming to the turning point. I had a lovely surprise when I got there. I heard shouts of Come on Fetchie long before I got there and the marshall turned out to be SodIron ! It was great to exchange a few words before heading back into the wind.

We finally turned off the promenade and headed back into the sheltered streets of the town. I tried to avoid looking at the distance on my Garmin and when we were running on a parallel street to the finish, I thought we might nearly be there. Sadly not, there was a loop to be done before we finally reached the finish. I came home in 4hr 24min 41sec and I was very happy with that 😀

Would I do it again ? Not sure yet, its too early to say

Photos

Kielder Lakeside Way marathon 2012

My sixth time round Kielder and my third time at this low key and free marathon for members of the North East Marathon Club (membership is just £8 !). Thirty runners including five Striders - Will, John Hutchinson, Angela, Sue and me. I was also my first handicap marathon, which I was looking forward to. We had to predict our time in 15 minute intervals and we would be set off with the aim of all of us finishing at 3pm.

Melanie and I drove up on the morning to get to my scheduled start at 10. The mist was very thick in places and it didn't look like we were going to be able to see very much when running. However, the mist lifted about two miles from the dam and it was clear that this would be a hot day.

Melanie was going to cycle round the Lakeside Way in the opposite direction to the runners and take some pictures, so we unloaded the bike and got ourselves ready. There were four other runners starting at 10 and some of them I knew were a lot quicker than me. Three of them shot off and the fourth one, Tim, and I stuck together and chatted for fourteen miles. It certainly made those miles easier, but I probably ran them slightly faster than I should have done

After 30 minutes I started to walk the hills and there are lots of them at Kielder. After 14m I met Melanie coming the other way, she had stopped to take photos in many places and so was a bit behind her schedule. Tim ran on while I chatted to Melanie for a bit.

I almost caught Tim when he was running with Angela and Sue, but then he and Angela disappeared into the distance and Angela put in her now customary storming finish to a long run.

It was getting very warm and I was starting to struggle. I got to 19m and then I was really struggling, lots of walking breaks. Plodded on overtaking the odd runner or so and being overtaken by others as the handicap started to unwind. A couple of calf spasms were a bit worrying. I perked up a bit in the final mile and made it home in 4hr 54min. Before the start I said I would be happy with sub 5 and I was, but it should not have been that hard. It is all down to my lack of training, but hopefully this will make Hull in two weeks a bit easier.

John estimated it would take him 4hr 15min and he came in with 4hr 14min, so excellent pacing in the heat. Sue came in shortly afterwards in a great time on this course. Will was in the last group to start and was starting to slow down, so he pulled out at 17m to preserve his legs for a higher profile race coming up soon.

It is a beautiful but hilly route, almost all on very good, purpose built trail. Road shoes are fine on this surface. A meal in the pub and chats with other runners before we made our way home

Belvoir Challenge 26m 2012

It has been a while, the middle of November was the last time I did a long race. My training since then has been poor, just one long run and that was 15m, so not great preparation for a marathon. I felt that I had to rely on my legs remembering that they had carried me round lots of marathons/ultras last year.

I have done the Belvoir Challenge twice before. In 2009 the ground was firm, but in 2010 it was a mudfest, so I wasn't sure how it would be this year (it turned out to be very firm). I like the event because of the great atmosphere, the route seems to change significantly each year and the checkpoints are usually laden with food. It is also well marked so I didn't use the map for navigation

I drove down to Grantham on Friday night after a very busy week and I was up at seven getting ready. Even so I had to park a fair way from the Race HQ in Harby village. It was good to catch up with about half a dozen runners from fetcheveryone.com who I haven't seen for a while.

I started very slowly on a flat and new section for me up to Granby. At about 10m the shorter route headed back and the 26m runners headed up towards Belvoir Castle. Down to the second checkpoint which I had visited in previous years and then the first big climb out of there. It was quite a warm day and I had overestimated how many clothes I should wear, so I was starting to feel a little uncomfortable. The third checkpoint was also familiar and then the slog to the fourth one started. I had done this section before and remembered it well. Parts of it are okay, but it is dull in places. It ends with a big climb up to the village containing the fourth and final checkpoint. It was going to be 8m from there to the finish, so I took on lots of drink and selected from the usual flapjack, scones, brownies, and sandwiches

My legs were now feeling very heavy and the last 8m contained some climbs. It also contained the rusty ladder which goes down a particularly steep bit and then a new very steep descent. Luckily it was only short. There were lots of stiles to climb over in the last 16m, somebody counted thirty and I can well believe that. There was also the odd locked gate and fence to scale.

We got to the top of the Belvoir Escarpment to be greeted by a lovely view across the Vale of Belvoir and Harby, and the finish. However, it had got a bit windy so going across the top was getting harder. The descent was lovely but there was hardly anything left in my legs, my lack of recent long distances was now revealing itself.

I was very pleased to finish, 5hr 23min, and have the free soup and fruit pudding with custard. Then the long drive home and on to the Striders Christmas party which was a great success !