Lakeland Trails marathon 2015

My third  and Melanie's second time for this beautiful, scenic run. We normally enter the Challenge (there are two races on the same course, with the Challenge being mainly for those who run a bit slower), but there are two disadvantages with this. Firstly you have to collect your race number and chip the day before and secondly it starts at 7.00 in the morning. The advantage is that if it is hot (and it has been the two previous times I have run it in 2011 and 2013) then you can get a lot of it done before it starts to get really warm.

We drove over to Coniston after our regular 30min pacing run at Durham parkrun and stopped off in Torver for a coffee. Then up to Coniston Hall to collect our number and then back to Kendal to check in at the hotel. It was at that point that Melanie realised that she had left a suitcase at home. She had some running gear such as shoes, but no top or tights or underwear and nothing much to wear after of the following day. It was about 3.30 on Saturday at this point. We looked at what spares I had, but none of them were suitable. We went into Kendal, found a Boyes' and Pete Bland's and managed to pick up basically what was needed. Some of it wasn't ideal but it was the best we could do in the time.

Melanie didn't sleep all night so when the alarm went off at 4.30 she wondered whether she should be running a marathon. She decided to go for it and she seemed to have lots of energy when she was running.

We arrived at the start area at about 6.10 and faffed around getting ready and chatting to Eric and Gillian and several old friends from Fetcheveryone. Just before the start Melanie had gone to use the toilets but the queue was too long. However, we ran past them after the start, so we both stopped to use them and started way behind everybody else (thanks to Eric for some of the pictures)

The route leaves Coniston Hall and goes across fields on hard packed trails (lots of these to come) to the village. We had caught the back markers at this point which was lucky as the route had changed and we hadn't expected this. We went down to the lake before heading through the village.

There is a fair of climbing in the first half, some of it it on quiet country roads but the rest on trails. The sections through woods are particularly beautiful and there are some wonderful views of the
Langdales.

Finally we made it Tarn Howes which is just stunning !

Then it is a bit of drag up to about 14m which is the highest point which has great views of the Lake.

Then a tricky rocky descent down to the bottom of the Lake at Water Yeat.

The water stations were fairly frequent and every other one had food. After Water Yeat we started the climb up to Beacon Tarn which seemed a bit longer than I remembered. However, normally I am very tired at that point, but this year I felt good, mainly because the sun had stayed behind clouds for the vast majority of the time.

The path round the tarn was particularly boggy and the technical bit afterwards was as slow going as ever. Then a nice bit of descent down to the Lake and the tree root section alongside the Lake. The tree root section ends about 2m from the end and it is an easy run in from there if you have any energy left. I didn't have much so Melanie went on and finished just ahead of me. We met up with half marathon runners just before the end.

We came in about 10min faster than in 2013 which I think shows how much difference the lack of heat makes.

A beautiful marathon, if you haven't done it, go and enjoy 😀

Photos

2013 blog

Brathay Windermere marathon 2015

My ninth marathon here and eight years since my very first marathon which was at Brathay. I do love this event, although the route is far from easy with constant undulations and two big hills.

We started out for the Lakes very early on Saturday morning and did the Barrow parkrun. A new one for us and it turned out to be more hilly than we expected. We went a little too fast (my fault). Lovely park. We then watched the 10 marathons in 10 days runners go through Newby Bridge and Ambleside - they do the Windermere marathon course every day. We collected our race numbers and looked at the lovely view from the lawn, the weather was lovely on the Saturday

Melanie (her third marathon here) and I were a little nervous about the marathon as the last road marathon we did felt a long time ago - York last October. We have also not done much road training, so how would we do when trying to run most of a 26m route ? We decided that it would be nice to get under 5hr, but we thought we would be pretty close to that.

There were more Striders here this year than any other. It might be related to this event being in the Striders Grand Prix, but I think quite a few people just wanted to run it or do a race as a training run. The weather on the Sunday was overcast, dark and cold, not conditions I had encountered here before.This presented the usual 'What shall I wear' question. I went for a short sleeved top and my showerproof top. I was wearing my new Hoka Cliftons which I have only worn once before for the North Tyneside 10K. I felt great in them at that race and I loved them here as well - so light and great cushioning.

Not happy at being parked a 'long' way from the Hall...

We set off and found ourselves running at slightly less than 10 min/mile pace. A bit faster than we expected, but we thought we would see how long that lasted. Until at least halfway as it happened. Then we encountered the tricky third quarter undulations. That slowed us down a bit and we walked some of the uphills to try and preserve some energy for the last quarter. To my surprise I was feeling I had more energy than Melanie, which rarely happens. She told me to go on, but I wasn't confident that I could sustain the pace, so I played safe and took it easy in this section. When I finally did go on at about 18m, she caught me fairly quickly, so it seemed pointless and we ran together until 25m. I had earlier said that we could get under 4hr 30min and at 25m I was starting to struggle badly, so Melanie went on. As it turned out, we both made it with me 30sec behind her at the finish - 4hr 26min 50sec for me (and third in my age category !). Very unexpected.

It was great to see many other marathon runners I know and to see Foxy and Rents do the 10 marathons in 10 days event. Rents for the second time and Foxy for the sixth time, an amazing achievement !

Photos

2014 blog

Hardmoors White Horse marathon 2015

It has been a while since our last marathon, we didn't do one in April at all, which is unusual for us. However, we had been on holiday during that time and covered about 55 miles, so we thought that might keep us in some sort of form. We are now doubting that our training was good enough, because we found this marathon very hard. I completely ran out of energy towards the end and walked most of the last four miles which were an uphill drag. This has partly to do with just getting over a cold which lasted a few days last week.

The route looked stunningly attractive on all the photos that course markers put on Facebook. When we arrived it was just throwing it down with rain with a strong wind from the east. The views from Sutton Bank should have been fantastic, but visibility was very poor. The marshalls did an amazing job out there, it must have been grim standing around in that. We did the entire event in full waterproofs top and bottoms.

The route followed the Cleveland Way for a short while and then descended steeply to Gormire Lake. That descent was made a bit more hazardous as many of the leading runners missed the turn (I guess the tape had been removed) and came flying past very close. We were more sheltered round the lake but then we had an enormous climb back up again to the Cleveland Way where we met the full fury of the weather again. My calf also started to tweek on that climb which felt a bit ominous given it was so early in the race.

We followed the Cleveland Way past the first checkpoint at High Paradise farm and then onto the moors. We then had to turn east into the wind and the rain. We walked that stretch, but it wasn't long before we descended steeply and things calmed down a bit. From there we went up and down and went through some very muddy sections until shortly after the second checkpoint, Melanie had a big fall on to a hard surface. She had some pain at the time, but hoped it would get better, but she was feeling her knee for the rest of the race.

We reached Hawnby which was followed by a steep climb up Hawnby Hill and down the other side (yet another tricky descent) to checkpoint 3, which was just under halfway. Then yet another climb over the shoulder of another hill, another tricky descent and then a lovely downhill run across fields, before a 1:4 ascent up a road to a checkpoint where it was great to see our clubmate Denise who was marshalling there.

Then into a forest and private land, where the track turned into a mud bath. Again there was a tricky descent and a muddy ascent. We turned a corner on that ascent to see the track covered in debris left after tree felling. It was hard to believe that was the route, but tape was there and our Garmins seemed to indicate that was the right way.

The route levelled out a bit after this and we went past the lovely Rievaux Abbey which looked great with the clouds on the hills behind. Flip was marshalling there and he had saved us some jaffa cakes to eat

Then back on to the Cleveland Way and we reached the final checkpoint which was manned by our two clubmates Anita and Mark. It was great to see them before we started the drag upwards to the finish at Sutton Bank. We had sunshine in those last four miles and the views at the end were great, it was just sad we didn't get them at the start.

Great route and yes I would probably do it again. This event was also the first time I had done any serious distance in my new Scott Kinabalu Supertrac shoes. Their grip was excellent and the cushioning was good as well - I like to have cushioning in my running shoes.

Photos

Charnwood marathon 2015

We have only run this race once before which was in 2013. The event was in March as usual but on the day of the event there were several inches of snow on the ground and it snowed for most of the time we were out.

This time the weather forecast was for cloud, temperatures between 6 and 9 degrees with a northerly wind of about 12 mph which would probably only affect us in the last few miles.

We stayed overnight in Loughborough and got to the start in Quorn at about 8.00 and just missed the walkers setting off.

The runners were leaving at 9.00 and we had time to chat to a few people we know from the 100 marathon club. Runners could choose from two distances 15m and 26m and there seemed to be a preference for the 15m, which had the same route as the 26m for the first 6m.

We started at a different point to avoid a narrow road and there was only one other change from 2013 near the end where the route had been changed to avoid a very boggy section.

The route meanders along quiet roads, tracks, alongside fields for the first three or four miles and then we started the first climb. The first two pictures above show us about half way up that climb. Then past the first self-clip and down to the bottom of Beacon Hill before another climb up the summit. Soon after that we were at the 6m checkpoint where the routes divide.

The conditions underfoot were much better than two years ago and also there was very little mud compared to the Belvoir event we did three weeks ago.

In the first part of the event there were lots and lots of kissing gates. Later they thinned out to be replaced by stiles. To find our way we were using the I had amended from 2013 which we had downloaded to our Garmins. There was the occasional sign, but we could see others who were using the route description and not having any difficulties.

There were more undulations and we went through another checkpoint at a monastery and after a moor type section plunged down before starting a climb to the highest point in Leicestershire. The self clip was on the trig point so we had to go all the way.

Then it was more gentle undulations before the final climb up through Bradgate Park,

March 2013

where there was another self clip before reaching the final check point in the car park at the bottom. Just four and half miles of relatively flat countryside after that before a road section to the finish, where there was an excellent choice of soups with cakes to follow. I do love LDWA type events :-)

We were pleased with our times, just over 5hr 30min, a whole 1hr 20min faster than in 2013 !

Photos

2013 blog : Lisrun: Charnwood marathon 2013

Belvoir Challenge 26m 2015

My fifth Belvoir Challenge and Melanie's second. What makes this event attractive is the variety of routes they come up given they have to use some village halls as checkpoints. Also it is a very friendly laid back event with proceeds going to the local primary school. The children from the school design the excellent finishing certificates.

The other big bonus is the home made cakes at the checkpoints :-) The scenery is also good without being spectacular.

It can be muddy and this year it was very muddy.

The weather can also be unpredictable in February and this year we were pretty lucky. Grey and a little drizzle to start and the wind picked up a little but nothing too bad.

It is three months since Meanie did a marathon and I did the Hardmoors Osmotherley less than two weeks ago so neither of us felt very confident. Melanie wasn't sure she had enough recent training and I was concerned I might not have recovered.

The start was busier than usual and the start was delayed by fifteen minutes. There seemed to be lots of people opting for the shorter distance (17m). We had already been waiting for a while so we decided to do something different - start before everybody else. I had seen people do this at this event before so I knew it would be fine. We left eighteen minutes before everybody else.

We soon discovered the first muddy section. It was very, very muddy but it wasn't too long before underfoot conditions improved a bit. But that was only temporary and mud soon returned and it was pretty muddy for the remainder of the route.

The faster runners caught us up well before the first checkpoint and we eventually overtook other people who must have started very early. The first checkpoint was just water, but after that the checkpoints were laden with food and drink.

Melanie was feeling a bit tired from the start, but I was fine until halfway when I realised that I was still tired from Osmotherley. Melanie kept up the same pace, but I slowed a bit. At 21m Melanie went on ahead and finished about 15 minutes ahead of me. I ran along the escarpment and had some good views before I descended and had some more mud to run through (and what was almost a small pond)

The course was superbly marked. We also had maps and a GPS trace on our watches provided so there was no danger of getting lost. We had seen a course marker running round the route checking everything on the way to the start, so the organisers had done their usual excellent job.

After finishing we had the usual soup and dessert provided which filled us up nicely. Melanie's 40th marathon/ultra which is some going since her first one was July 2012.

Photos

Hardmoors Osmotherley marathon 2015

My first marathon of 2015. We had planned to do the Wilmot Wander, entered, book hotels, but on the Friday before the event, there was a crisis at work and we did not go down to Derby. Much to my surprise, we received a cheque last week refunding our entry fess. I have never heard of that happening before.

The Osmotherley marathon route when I mapped it out had 1457m of climb, more than any of the other Hardmoors marathons, so I knew it was going to be tough with lots of walking up hills. It also looked to be about 29m. Melanie did not fancy that much walking so she transferred down to the half marathon (16m) and enjoyed her race.

There lots of clubmates in the marathon, also lots of people I know from the Hardmoors marathons and Fetcheveryone, so it was a very social event.

Jon and Shirley were using the same car park as two years ago which is a 15 minute walk from the race HQ in the Village Hall. We were so lucky with the weather, about 6 degrees, very little wind until we got to about 21m. It would have been so much harder if it had been snowing or raining or there had been stronger winds.

I started and soon found myself running with three clubmates Kate, Kath and Bill who were running with Kate's sister-in-law Nester who was doing her first marathon ! She did amazingly well, it was a very tough first marathon.

We jogged along, walking the hills and running everything else. We didn't rush through the checkpoints. One of our party was struggling a bit with the uphills, because of issues with her breathing, but she kept going. The route followed the Cleveland Way from Osmotherley mainly in an east direction up until the second sister, then took the lower path round Wainstones (very muddy and some snow), then followed the Cleveland Way back up the Wainstones so we were heading west. I never done Wainstones in that direction before.

Then it was a new section for me towards Chop Gate. I had somehow thought this was mainly going to be downhill. However, there was initially some uphill and when the descent came it was very, very muddy, some of the worst mud I have ever encountered.

I had heard there was soup at the Chop Gate checkpoint but I wasn't expecting much to be left. It wasn't obvious and I asked, and apparently I was the first person to ask. The soup was just great, just what I needed.

We then started the worst hill of all. About halfway up Kate asked what this hill was called and Nester immediately said 'Bitch ! Ooh did I say that out loud ?' One of the funniest moments of the day. It was great running with them all, it made the miles pass so much quickly. They were happy for me to show the way (though it was well marked) and show them the various fell runner paths that avoided the slippery flagstones.

There was more melting snow after that and I was really pleased I had decided to put water proof socks on. I was using my wave harriers I could have done with a little more grip, but I managed not to fall over.

My route plan had been slightly wrong on the way back to Lordstones, but nothing too serious. Even after the climb back up Carlton Bank I was still feeling quite fresh. The climb out of Scugdale was fine but when we came to the many steps through the woods before the cattle grid, I then started to feel it. That was about 23m, so I was pleased I had got that far feeling so good. After the cattle grid, we headed up the road in the direction of the Cod Beck reservoir. I had run down this section two year's ago and down was the operative word. We had a climb and a long drag up. It was also into a cold and strengthening wind. Finally we started to head back down to the Cleveland Way to the south of Osmotherley. We were determined to all finish together and regrouped as some of us had gone ahead

Melanie had had a long wait for me and she was great getting me food, tea and my bag. And then Phil gave us a lift back to the car park which was fantastic.

A lovely day 😀 Thanks to Anita for the photos

Hardmoors Roseberry Topping marathon 2014

This event claims to be a marathon, but it turned out to be a marathon plus a parkrun, a total of 29.3m and I don't think we made any navigation mistakes. But Hardmoors miles are said to be a new form of measurement ... It was the second running of this event, but it was a bit of a different experience from last year - the route was different and had more ascent and was a bit longer but also I didn't have any difficulties with public conveniences this year ....

Melanie was away for this one and I ran with Jane Ives. There were three other Striders running the marathon - Stew Mcconnell, who finished in an excellent 11th place, Denise Benvin, who had a fabulous run and covered 31.2m and Sue Jennings, who sadly had to pull out at about halfway because of an injury.

It was an early start, up at 4.45, pick up Jane at 6.00 and we arrived in Guisborough at about 7.00 for an 8.00 start.

I have done quite a few Hardmoors events over the past few years and I do love them. They are all tough events and this one was not the toughest of the marathon series, Wainstones has that distinction, but I think it is second toughest - 4012 feet of ascent. Most of that is in the first half. There are climbs to Highcliffe, Roseberry Topping (not once but twice - the route send you right down to the bottom and up then up by a different path), little Roseberry, Captain Cook's monument and then the climb out of Kildale. Some of the time we also had a strong wind in our faces, so this made the first half even tougher. I was feeling very blown about on the summits of Little Roseberry and Roseberry Topping. Once we stopped heading south and turned north we had the wind behind us, it was much less testing. There were still hills, but they weren't on the same scale. The underfoot conditions were tougher than the first half, but you could still make progress.

It took us 3hr 50min roughly, for the first half. The second half took us 3hr 25min roughly - with the hills in the first half, this was a perfect course for a negative split !

We went over part of the same course as the Eskdale Eureka but by the time we got there, that event had finished.

I had a bit of a tough time at about 21m, there seemed to be no end to the undulations between Castleton and Commondale. My solution was to eat more food - I had plenty of Quorn picnic eggs with me - my savoury food of choice for marathons. I also managed to demolish an entire Chia Charge banana flapjack at the next checkpoint. It all seemed to help and when Guisborough woods came into sight I knew we are almost there, just a few more miles of slippery, boggy path to negotiate. We finally reached the woods and started the steep, muddy plunge down to Guisborough. It was getting dark by the time we finished and there quite a few runners behind us who had to use head torches.

Everybody seemed to enjoy the event, the other runners were very friendly, the marshalls were helpful and encouraging. If you have not taken part in a Hardmoors event yet, I would encourage you to do so, they are great fun ! 

Photos : https://photos.app.goo.gl/78kGF6uR4QHyFbYL9

2013 blog : Lisrun: Hardmoors Roseberry Topping marathon 2013