Durham Dales Challenge 30m 2011

I headed off to Wolsingham for this Long Distance Walking Association (LDWA) event and picked up Sue Jennings on the way. We got there and chatted to other runners and met Joan Reeves at the start who was also doing the 30m route.

We started off running through Wolsingham and then straight up a big hill. We took it nice and easy and reached the first self clip at about 2.5m. This was the point where the 16m and 30m routes split and it was clear that most people were doing the 16m. We set off across the moor with nobody else in sight and it continued like that for a long way ...

We were running into a breeze and Sue was starting to struggle especially on the uphills of which there were quite a few. We reached Hamsterley Forest, which seemed full of flies. Climbed our way out and back onto the moors again. Sue was really struggling at this stage and at 10m she decided to pull out at the next checkpoint at 11.5m. She had also developed a dodgy stomach. I ran on to the checkpoint to warn them there would be a dropout. While we were waiting for her a car arrived asking if there were any people dropping out so the driver waited and then took Sue all the way home, which was very good of him.

I set off towards Middleton-in-Tessdale hoping to pick up the time a bit. It wasn't that easy, running by the River Tees was just lovely, but there was lots of mud and steps so progress was slow. Made it to the Middleton check point in about 4hr 15min. They had lovely sandwiches, cake and tea.

Set off again and the route followed a stream (uphill) and made it to the next checkpoint where we were presented with a choice, follow the windy road upwards or go straight up. I chose straight up. I think it was quicker.

Then I made a navigational error. I hadn't been able to work out this section beforehand. I had put the route on the Garmin and that worked well most of the time, but I knew not to rely on it here. I saw walkers ahead going down the left hand side of a stream and the instructions seemed to say go right (they did but I was taking that decision too early) so I went down the right. I ended up climbing through heather and the couldn't find any way over a wall, so I had to negotiate a steep descent to the steam - I slid down on my bottom.

Back on track and another big climb, past a reservoir and seeing some fantastic views - it looked sunny in the distance. Whilst on the moors it always seemed cloudy and dull, but everywhere else it seemed sunny!

After the next checkpoint (more fantastic food) we had to find a shooting butt with the number 4 inside of it. I never found it, but luckily some walkers pointed me in the right direction.

Finally made it to the last manned checkpoint (where they had quiche 😀 ), past the elephant trees (they look like two elephants from the valley) and down into the valley towards Wolsingham. Finally made it back in 8hr 14 ! A long time on my feet. Joan Reeves had had a great run and came in with 7hrs 37 😀

Then it was the usual LDWA two course meal All that food and the race for just a tenner!

A lovely day, but far from easy.

Liverbird marathon 2011

This event consisted of two marathon over two days on the same course. I could only do Day 1 which I wasn't too disappointed about as I got to know the course pretty well from just doing Day 1. The course consisted of a run down the River Mersey Promenade until you got to the end and then back to the start/finish area and repeat that four times. It was very flat. It was a fairly warm afternoon/evening (I have never started a marathon this late before, I think I prefer morning starts) and we had the breeze behind us on the way out and in our faces on the way back. It was good to have the river right next to us, it provided something interesting to look at.

I discovered on lap 1 that 6m+ was a bit too long to go without a drink (the only water station being at the start/finish) so I carried a drink for the last three laps. It was good to see the other runners all the time (it was a very small field, 23 starters and 22 finishers). The field included the runner who has run the most marathons in the UK (800+ which can be thought of as one a week for about 16 years...) and several regular marathon runners. I tired on the final lap, but I did manage to keep going a bit better than I have done recently and came in with a time of 4hr 33min. Time for a break and a bit of recovery now

Brathay Windermere marathon 2011

Well tomorrow the clock ticks over and my age category will have moved on 

It has been a lovely weekend. I went over to the Lakes for the third weekend running on Friday and on Saturday I went to see the start of Day 9 for the 10 in 10 runners. Some of them looked a bit stiff and there was more tape visible than on Day 2, but they were all still going. Just amazing 

I then followed then round the lake with ultrakazz and bumped into various Fetchies and people I knew on the way round 

On Saturday night my two children and my daughter's partner arrived and yesterday it was the Brathay Windermere marathon itself. We got there to find very changeable weather. The forecast was sunshine and showers. The showers were brief but heavy and we had hail in one outbreak. But once we formed up for the briefing, the wether improved and sunny intervals for the rest of the day. I think we were very lucky  It was a bit windy, in our faces in the first half and behind us in the second half 

I was running with fats from my club. She was worried that she had had only one long run since our WHWadventure with dizzie1981 and I was worried that I had done too much running. Ideally she wanted to get a pb, that is under 4hr30 but we just thought we would see how it goes.

We started fairly quickly 

and all the way down the west side we seemed to be averaging under 9.5min/miles. We knew we should have stuck to 10 min/miles but we didn't seem to be able to do that. One or two other Fetchies who ran with us clearly decided we were going too fast and backed off. Halfway in 2hr 2min. The difficult third quarter was next and Fats' feet were starting to hurt so we walked up most of the longer undulations. Once we got through those we seemed to speed up. We lost a bit for a loo stop, but we were still 6 minutes ahead of 10 min/mile pace at 19m.

I slowed a bit at 20m, then we picked it up to the base of the 21m hill. My children were cheering us on at this point and then we got lots of shouts at Fetchpoint from RooA, Slowboy, YP1 and L  And a lovely jaffa cake. I had been taking Kendal Mint cake at most of the water stations and my stomach started to feel a bit bad and as we approached the 23m, I knew I was going to struggle to keep up with fats. We jogged to the water station at 23m and then I finally persuaded her to go on. I knew we would get home in under 4hr30, but she had the chance of a big improvement in her pb. She did that and got 4hr19 and I got home in 4h26, so I was happy with that.

My new Hoka Bondi shoes were lovely, I had only done 6m in them before, but they were lovely and bouncy 

Photos : https://photos.app.goo.gl/MN9c7m7y6xkz4BZ89

2010 blog : Lisrun: Brathay Windermere marathon 2010

Druridge Bay marathon 2011

I didn't sleep very well last night and I was up at 5.30. I think this had a major effect on what happened later.

Stratford didn't go well last weekend and I hadn't had any time to run this week apart from yesterday, but I thought a bit of recovery might help. It didn't appear to change anything.

I was pacing angpp474 on her first marathon at Druridge Bay. It was a complicated course, three big laps and one smaller lap. The big lap include two miles on the beach. I normally like running on sand, but I found it tough today, the wind was in our faces, the hard sand was often on a camber. There was also softer sand at the bottom end and then you had to get across a section of very soft sand to get off the beach. We did 2hr 15min for the first half, but we slowed soon after that, which was fine with me, I was starting to tire. Then at 22m I mentally lost focus and I just wanted to walk/run the rest. I sent angpp474 on (she was very reluctant to go, but did in the end) and I took it easy for the last four miles. angpp474 did great on her first marathon and finished in 4hr42 with me coming in 4min later.

Bomb had a good run coming in under 4hr and it was good to have Banjobox's support as he marshalled. It was also good to see ToonStroller again as we passed each other many times 

I do like these North East Marathon Club events, low key and friendly 

Hopefully I will be able to pull things round for Windermere on Sunday

Royal Shakespeare marathon 2011

I drove down from the Lake after Hawkshead and I was surprised how tired I was. Sleep on Saturday night would be no problem then.

No such luck, it was a very warm night even though it was throwing it down with rain. My hotel room was like an oven even though there was no heating on. A very poor night's sleep.

I drove the last twenty minutes to Stratford and found somewhere to park easily. Found the finish and then made my way to the start. It was good to see some familar Fetchies and to meet some new ones. I was way back from the front, but it all seemed a bit odd. There was a man with flag down the road who would apparently wave it if there was a false start. I wonder how many times that has happened ?

Anyway there wasn't one this year and off we went. I met more new Fetchies as I ran. The plan was just to see how it went and I seemed to settle quickly into ten minute mile pace. That made the Maths easy and it all seemed fine. I was aware that from an overcast start, it was getting sunny and I didn't have any sun cream on. I was taking water from very drinks station of which there were quite a few. Hundreds of marshals as well, it was very well organised. 

Good support from the locals as well, orange segments and jelly babies on offer from some houses. I also liked Stratford-on-Avon itself, it was very pretty.

It was a two lap course and about two thirds of the runners were doing the half marathon and just one lap and just before the split I came across Trumpton Riots who I hadn't seen for ages, it was good to see him again. He went off to the finish and I went off on the second lap which was much quieter. 10 min/miles continued fine until mile 18 when we came to the long hill. My energy levels had gone, so this was walked. It was probably a combination of Hawkshead yesterday, lack of sleep and the increasing heat and humidity. I was now getting two cups of water, one to drink and the other to throw over myself.

The last six miles along the Greenway were covered with a walk/run strategy, but I was happy to make it back in 4h36.

Then off the pub to chat with Fetchies and clubmates from the NE marathon club 

The long drive home was taken slowly with frequent stops as the tiredness started hitting me

Royal Berkshire marathon 2011

There are different sorts of marathons around at the moment. Big city marathons, trail marathons, Long Distance Walkers Association events and low key marathons with few runners. The Royal Berkshire marathon was one of the latter, with a maximum of forty entrants. The race instructions were along the lines of:

There are no marshals at the turns, map and compass optional. If you turn right, you are lost. From the start proceed 100m along the red surface, follow the turn to the left, proceed 100m, follow the turn to the left. Repeat 104 and a bit times.

Yes, it was a track marathon. The advantages of such an event is that you always have the leaders in sight (which sounds impressive if you miss out the bit about the laps), you don't have to carry anything as there is a water station every 400m, it's flat and there is a good surface. The major disadvantage is that it could be very dull and that is what I feared the most. As it turned out, it wasn't dull at all, there was always somebody to talk to and I knew quite a few people there.

There were some very experienced marathon runners running and quite a few runners from the Brathay ten marathons in ten days round Windermere event, which is starting shortly. Both male winners from the last four years and one of the female winners were running. There was also a seventy three year old male who did the first ten in ten event and is doing it again this year.

The overtaking protocol wasn't what I had been expecting. We were asked to run on the white line on the outside of lane 1, so that overtaking runners could overtake on the inside (or the outside). One you had overtaken you were expected to return to the outside of lane 1. If runners were running with someone else they had to be further out than the outside of Lane 1. It seemed to work pretty well.

We had to have a human lap counter to count the laps for us and I can understand why, I totally lost track of how many laps I had done. I asked my lap counter (who was counting for someone else and kindly agreed to count for me as well) to let me know how many laps I had done every ten laps (we had to wave, smile, give the thumbs up to our lap counter every lap so that we weren't missed). At certain times I was just dying to hear her shout I had reached 70 or 80 or whatever. My halfway time was 2hr 5min and I got my hopes up of a very good time, but I slowed in the second half. Laps 60 to 70 were the worst for me. There was a bit of a breeze but it was only in our face in the home straight where you were concentrating on catching the eye of your lap counter, so I didn't notice it too much. I was very happy to finish with 4hr 23min.

There were a few fast runners there. The winner only asked if he do the event the night before and finished with 2hr 32min ! I am not sure yet whether I will do another track marathon, but it was certainly an interesting experience and it was a well organised event.

Photos : https://photos.app.goo.gl/mh7BJGGGzUJEVC7B6

Kielder Water marathon 2011

This was a no fee marathon for members of the North East Marathon Club. As it only costs £8 to join the club, this was an amazing bargain !

I could argue that my other club, Elvet Striders, had a big participation in this event. They formed 10% of the finishers and 20% of the helpers, but maybe I should also say there were 31 starters (one DNF) and 10 helpers 

I drove up with fats and dizzie1981 who were using the event for their training for a bigger challenge in April. It would be the second marathon for both of them. The first one for both of them was London, in different years, and they were aware this event would be just a little different....

The biggest difference is the hills. Somebody told us the ascent was 3000ft and I measured it as 2828, but whatever it was, there were lots and lots of climbs, not big ones but just unrelenting. Its the fourth time I have run round Kielder, but its the first time I have done it clockwise and of course I found hills which I never realised existed running in the other direction ! We started in Kielder village at the head of the reservoir, so we would have the more difficult north side first.

The aim was to walk the hills and run everything else, but we didn't start to walk the hills until about 9m. This was after we had passed Flip who had cycled out along the route with a backpack full of water to set up the first drinks station. Considering he didn't get to bed until 3.30 that morning because of his duties as race day director at the Hardmoors 55, this was an amazing achievement ! The other Strider who was helping was acting as a cycling first aider and we kept seeing him as he kept an eye on us.

We reached the dam in good time, but all three of us felt a bit tired. We had picked up a few other runners at various points in the race and four of us were together as we ran into the drinks station to be greeted by members of fats's family who gave us all a mental boost 

It drizzled for most of the day, dizzie said it had always rained when she comes here (so we are not allowing her to enter again ) and there were times when we were getting a bit chilly. Onwards on to the Bull Crag peninsula which never seems to end, to Leaplish which was the final drinks station. There was more mental boosting here as the fats family had driven round.

I started to tire soon after we left Leaplish. This was probably due to four very long runs in just over two weeks. On Bull Crag we had picked up another runner, who turned out to be toonstroller and he ran with us to the end. The other three were in a better condition than me and I tried to get them to go on, but they wouldn't.

We all finished together in 4hr49min, which was a 50min !! pb for dizzie 

Photos : https://photos.app.goo.gl/HxaHeefNgKdfVDex7

A lovely event. The club is hosting three other marathons this year, Druridge Bay in May, Northumberland Coast in August (my favourite marathon) and the Newcastle Town in October. Not too be missed