Day 1 of our time off at home. Last year this was my favourite event of the year, lovely scenic route, reasonably challenging, lovely weather, ice cream at halfway, great food afterwards, bit of navigation to distract us from how far we had to go - it ticked all our boxes.
On our recommendation, two clubmates came down with us this year, Rachael and Jules. We also met up with Fran when we got there 
The weather was forecast to be very, very hot and they certainly got that right, it was a scorching day.
The organisers had altered the route in three places, which meant that we missed out on a shady route round a reservoir and some moorland, but it was good to have something a bit different. They also made the start an hour earlier, which meant we got up at 5.00, but at least that meant we started when the temperature was still lovely.
After a sharp hill soon after the start it was just gently undulating for a while, going through fields, farms and crops. Sometimes the ground was a little uneven and I went over on my ankle at about 5m. My lower calf started to ache a little, but it didn't seem too bad and I was able to keep up. Rachael was carrying an injury which got worse so she started to walk with the intention of dropping our at checkpoint 3, near Ripon.
The rest of us reached the lovely valley of the seven bridges which was past checkpoint 3 and after going through that and stopping for photographs, we noticed Rachel behind us. She had been able to run a little on the road sections and wanted to see if she could finish. Jules stayed with her and MelanieLH, cackleberry and I went on, though after slowing for some raspberry foraging (you can see that finishing time wasn't important to us !), Jules and Rachael caught us up at the halfway checkpoint.
This was a highlight last year. Ice cream in cones, lots of food, water, buckets to cool yourself down, the perfect checkpoint. This year it was the same, just wonderful.
The second half has lots more hills (there is 3000ft of ascent on the route), we were chased by a herd of bullocks at one point but Fran knew exactly what to do and stopped them in their tracks. Rachael and Jules dropped back again at this point. At about 21m, Fran said the heat had drained her and she would walk the rest. MelanieLH and I started to run on a flat section, but I became aware that my lower calf was no longer just an ache, it was now a sharp pain. Melanie stayed with us until Brimham Rocks and then went on ahead and Fran and i walked the rest. Brimham Rocks were as spectacular as ever. We were so impressed last year that we came back for a longer visit later in the summer.
Shortly before the easy run in to the finish, Jules and Rachael went by and we all met up again at the Village Hall. We started with pudding - jelly, fruit and ice cream to cool us down. Then went on the most impressive main course I have ever had at an LDWA event - quiche, peas in parsley sauce, potatoes, lots of salad dishes - amazing that this was all in an entry fee of £10.
Then it was off to the pub next door for a relaxing drink before starting the drive home.
There were about thirty runners and quite a few walkers on this event and I was surprised there weren't more. It is a lovely event
Photos
This is an event I keep coming back to. I have done 33m route twice and the 26m route once, two years ago when Melanie did her first marathon. The plan was to do the 33m, her longest official race (The Ultimate Trail 50K last autumn race turned out to be longer than 33m).
It was clear that it was going to be very hot day with only a slight breeze which we didn't get the benefit of very much. It was good to see Jason T and Nicki no miles before the start, we hadn't expected to see any people we knew. The event was sold out as usual.
We started slowly uphill out of the village which meant that we had to dodge round walkers once we started to run. Then it was the familiar climb up to the radio mast on the Cleveland Way, down to cross the road and along to Scugdale. I have lost track of how many times I have done this particular section of the Cleveland Way, but I am not bored by it, it still feels lovely. More tiring is the climb up to Carlton Bank and the steep descent to Lordstones. At this point the 17m route cuts off and one the great things about this event is that you can decide when you get to the checkpoint which route to take. We were both fine, so the 33m was what we continued with.
After Lordstones there is a choice, you can go up over the three sisters (including the Wainstones) or contour round. We have always contoured round, there are more than enough big hills in this event. This year there seemed to be more people doing the three sisters which surprised us a little.
On to Clay Bank and then the slog up the other side to eventually reach the trig point which is the highest point on the North York Moors. We run this area on the Wainstones marathon a few weeks ago and it was good to run down a downhill section we had slogged up last time. Down into Chop Gate and the 17m checkpoint there at the Village Hall, where the Wainstones marathon had started. We spent a little longer at this checkpoint, putting on more suncream and preparing ourselves for 'that hill' the one that hits you straight away. It is just so long and steep and to get that after 17m is just a killer. I had to take a couple of breaks in the climb up and I was concerned about an attack of cramp which I seem to get climbing big hills well into races on hot days. I made it over the most difficult bit, but then the cramp hit, a juddering pain in my right calf. Having just recovered from my second calf injury of the year and two long races in the next two weeks, it felt like preservation was important, so I slowed down.
We discussed what to do and we agreed that at the 20m checkpoint where the 26m and 33m routes diverged that I would do the 26m and Melanie would do the 33m. She had the route on her garmin, a map and the route description so although she was a bit anxious about getting lost, off she went. I walked most of the way back, I knew I was going to be back way before her and I didn't want to do any more damage.
I chatted to a few people, a Swede who had not realised how hilly it was going to be and had also transferred to the 26m route and a two of women doing their first ever marathon.
Got back and relaxed, consumed two pints of shandy and then at just over eight hours Melanie came in. She had made one or or two minor errors but her watch had told her when she went off course. However, she had a bad headache from the heat and half wished she had also done the 26m, but she was also pleased to have done the 33m route at least once. This was her 31st marathon/ultra in the two years since her first marathon. In that time she has also had an operation and had to take time out because of a stress fracture. 31 events in two years is just amazing !
