Durham Dales 30m 2017

I do love this event. I have done the 17m route twice and this was to be fourth go at the 30m route. There were four Striders doing the 30m route and the rest were running the 17m route

Melanie was running the 17m route and I was running the 30m route with Kath who was doing it for the first time. Melanie loved her route and was the second female finisher on the 17m route.

There was just one minor change to the route from last year and that appeared straightforward. There was tea, cake and quiche available before the start. The food available at this event is just awesome and includes a basic meal at the end, all for a cost of £14.

We started by the usual climb out of Wolsingham which provided some lovely views of the Wear valley.

On the way we passed through the wonderfully named Towdy Potts Farm. We came to the point where the two routes parted after about 3m. It had taken over 40min to reach this point because of the hills.

We then had a bit if drag upwards before a lovely descent through heather with Steel Beck to the right

There were a few tape signs in this section but once we crossed the beck they disappeared. We climbed a little higher than we should have done, but we descended and found the right path before crossing the next beck. Then it was a lovely grassy descent to the wonderfully named Meeting of the Grains.

Another long climb and into Hamsterley Forest. We made our way downhill to Sharnnerry Beck and after a tricky descent we turned onto a grassy section whereupon I tripped over something and went flying. I think I executed a nice roll onto my shoulder and only slightly grazed my knee, so everything was fine and I was able to continue straight away.

We walked up the forest road to the checkpoint where we refilled with water (and cake !). Climbed out of Hamsterley 

and back onto to moorland and up another climb I had forgotten about (i got teased by Kath about this for the rest of the day...) before we had a good descent to the River Tees. 

We ran and walked alongside the river for two miles or so - it is not easy running, but it is beautiful. I do like the variety of countryside in this route.

We turned off the riverside path towards Middleton-in Teesdale through a lovey wild meadow

Into the famous checkpoint at Middleton which has an amazing reputation for the food and drink on offer. It did not disappoint

and it was hard to leave.

Another climb out of Middleton to get back onto the moors and there was a checkpoint about halfway up with a great view back along the valley we had just run.

A descent into the valley containing Great Egglesthorpe Beck

with more beck crossings, before the climb out of the valley and the descent down to Little Egglesthorpe Beck and the next checkpoint. It had been windy on the way to Middleton, but now the wind was behind us, but it was string enough that all the food was in two car boots. There were just loads, I had quiche, cake and orange slices, just perfect.

Up on the moor again, (but only a gentle climb this time) but there was an amazing view, we could see as far as Saltburn

and across to the final checkpoint above Surrender House. As with all the other checkpoints the marshalls were lovely and friendly - they are out there for a long time as there are quite a few walkers doing this event.

A lovely descent down to the River Wear and we followed the railway back to Wolsingham where one of the trains went by

Into the Hall which was serving as Race HQ and I was pleased to see the bar was open 😀 The meal was cheese pasty and mushy peas followed by rice pudding and with a pint, that all was consumed very quickly.

I will be back !

2016 blog

Hardmoors Wainstones marathon 2017

A mainly sunny day, but with quite a strong wind which slowed me down but also kept me cool. 26.79 miles (a bit short for a Hardmoors marathon 😉), just under 4000ft of climb with ten climbs.

Climb 1 - Out of Chop Gate and the hardest climb. It's not all marathons that you do the first mile in about 22 minutes, but at least you get the hardest climb out of the way early on.

Sometimes your attempts at taking pictures of the view don't quite work out...

James had a fantastic run today. Once we reached the top of the hill he flew off and I didn't see him again until the finish.

Once at the top, there is nice flat section with the wind behind us, so that was fun,

Photo by Dave Parker. This was followed by a lovely run down into Scugdale.

Climb 2 Carlton Bank. There is a small down section in this climb, but apart from that it is a long drag upwards, but with some great views

Then there is tricky descent down to Lordstones where we were joined by the half marathon runners. Last year, the half runners around me were about my pace, but not this year, we joined the front runners.

Climb 3 First sister (Cringle Moor) I was being passed by loads of half marathon runners, which was strange, but otherwise it was good.

Climb 4 Second sister (Cold Moor) Still being passed, but pleased to get up and over.

Climb 5 Third sister (Wainstones) I was getting a bit tired by this one. I passed the 10k tail runners. This has the most technical bit, but it is only short

Along the top of Hasty Bank and down to Clay Bank passing some of the 10k runners (which made a change from being passed by crowds of runners).

In the checkpoint I saw Eric who had sadly had to pull out because of injury.

Climb 6 Up to Urra Moor. Plodded up this this conscious that we were now approaching halfway and the worst climbs were behind us. But you always wonder how much you have left.

Once up we go down for a short while along the edge of the escarpment, looking down on the valley below. The strong wind was in our faces so once it levelled out I struggled to run for very long. Then at the next checkpoint where Dave was stationed we parted from the 10K and half runners and turn east towards Round Hill, the highest point on the moors.

Climb 7 Up to Round Hill. If this was at the start I would have run it, but after those last six climbs, there was no chance that would happen.

There were a few puddles on the route, but hardly any mud

This was followed by nice run down to Blowarth Crossing.

Climb 8 Climb up from Blowath Crossing. Again not a steep climb, but the wind was in our faces, so I walked it. Luckily I had some company - I got talking to Martin from Susses who was doing his first Hardmoors event.

Finally we got to the top and had a lovely run down to Bransdale.

Climb 9 Climb out of Bransdale. This is all on tarmac and it gets a bit steep towards the end. Pleased to get it over and there is the final checkpoint (22m) at the top.

We turned onto trail which climbed for a while and then flattened out. It started to rain a little so our waterproofs came out. We started to run and gradually Martin fell behind and I was finding I had still had some energy. I was overtaking quite a few runners and I enjoyed the descent into Tripsdale, but inevitably there was

Climb 10 Climb out of Tripsdale. Long and a slog, but there is they joy that once at the top there is nothing but downhill to the finish.

And that descent was lovely. Into the Village Hall and received my medal and tee shirt

6hr 36 min and I was very happy with that especially the last 4m when I usually have nothing left. No age category win this year - I have won my age category the other times I have done this event, but there must have been a speedier runners this year.

2016 blog

Windmill Way 2017

I hadn't done this event before, but it was held in the same area, to the west of Hull, as the enjoyable Golden Fleece. That one was organised by the scouts as was the Windmill Way so I thought I would give it a try.

The organisation was laid back. The kit list consisted of whatever clothing you thought was appropriate. The person before me at registration asked if there was a checkpoint at the windmill as there hadn't been one in previous years. 'No there isn't' was the answer although it was on the route description and on the tally card which was supposed to be clipped. Nothing was said at the briefing, so I was lucky to have heard that. There were lots of checkpoints with increasing amounts of food at them which was nice, but I did get a little nervous after the first one which just took my number and had nothing to eat or drink !

However, this was largely made up for by the finishing memento

which was lovely. Registration and Race HQ was a fairly dour building on the outskirts of Skidby

but there was plenty of parking. There were walkers as well as runners and the briefing largely consisted of telling us about a fairly small route change.

Just over the mile from the start was the famous windmill

where I didn't waste any time looking for the non-existent checkpoint. Then it was back into another part of Skidby for the second checkpoint where they just took my number. Then we were off into fields with one or two gentle climbs

followed by pretty villages such as Little Weighton

and attractive churches - this one is Rowley

The next section was tricky as the gpx route I was using didn't go the way everyone else was going, but I just trusted the two people I was running with and some yellow tape which appeared and was never used again. That got us to the route change (in order not to disturb some prize pigs apparently...). That was fine, but there was about 0.25m on a fairly busy road, followed by a long stretch on a much quieter road. There was a quite a bit of tarmac overall and the fields were also very hard from the lack or rain recently.

There were some signs to point us in the right direction

but they weren't that often.

Soon after we turned off the road were running downhill through woodland

which is just my favourite running terrain. At the bottom was the Yorkshire Wolds Way which we were to come across and follow about three times. We climbed up out of the valley and there were some good views of the Humber estuary (which can hardly be seen in this photo)

On to the village of Everthorpe, which I was familiar with from the Golden Fleece

On to South Cave where there was an indoor checkpoint with cake, soup and hot drinks. I was pretty warm at this stage, so I just filled up my bottle with water and didn't stay long. At this point it started to rain, which had not been forecast, but it wasn't heavy and it was too warm to put my waterproof jacket on. On to the Wolds Way again and on to the lovely Brantingham church

More climbing and through some more lovely woods to Welton where the checkpoint had rice pudding and peaches. There was no way I was going to skip that. On to Welton Dale which was lovely

before crossing a few more fields and on to the long green lane back to Skidby and the finish. 5hrs 6min which I was pleased with - quite a bit faster than I have ever done the Golden Fleece.

There was more rice pudding and peaches at the finish together with cake. Cost of the whole event was just £10, a bargain.

Hardmoors White Horse marathon 2017

Twelve years ago I never thought I would run a marathon, I thought at 53 I would be too old to start running one. However, I soon realised there were members of my running club who were older than me who were running them successfully. So I entered my first one and ran it just before my 56th birthday in 2007.

By December 2015 I had completed 126 marathons/ultras and I decided I needed a target. I am not one who sets myself many targets (and I don't like anybody else setting me targets, but maybe I shouldn't get started on that issue here ....).

After a bit if thought I came up with trying to get to 150 marathons/ultras within ten years of my first marathon, Windermere, in May 2007. So I was aiming to get the next twenty four marathons/ultras in eighteen months. That should be achievable provided I didn't get injured. I have been lucky, I have had no injuries, so today was the day of my 150th marathon/ultra with a month to spare on my target.

I was very happy that I had managed to arrange my 150th to be the Hardmoors White Horse marathon as it is a fantastic route and I love Hardmoors events. It is a tough route with lots of climbs, but the scenery is beautiful. I had completed my 100th marathon at the Hardmoors Wainstones, so I may have started a pattern here.

I wan't expecting a good time for this event, my previous times has been 6hr 55min (2015) and 6hr 43min (2016). Also the week before the event we had been on holiday and we had clocked up 53 miles (which is about half my usual monthly miles) in one week. Not much of a taper.

The start was at the Sutton Bank Visitor Centre (the nearest we would get to the White Horse).

and I chatted with a few friends before the start at 9.00. The start is not far away

and I was ready to go

The route starts along the Cleveland Way heading north but before long we turn off and plunge down the escarpment to Gormire Lake which is usually pretty muddy. However, this last week has been very dry and today was also dry and very warm, so it was very easy to avoid the muddy sections.

The climb out of Gormire was a bit muddy in places, but nothing like it has been in the previous two years. Once back on the Cleveland Way, the views started to appear, although it was a bit hazy.

Then after about 4m we reached Sneck Yate Bank and one of Jon's motivational signs

Then on past High Paradise Farm and onto the moors. I had started at the back and I was gradually overtaking people and this went on until the end, it is funny how some races go well and others like Kielder Dark Skies two weeks ago which I didn't feel went well (although I did a faster time there).

Then soon we were turning east and down into North Moor Wood and past the lovely Arden Hall

and a climb in road to the lovely village of Hawnby and the steep climb up to Hawnby Hill. Recently, at some Hardmoors events there has been a party checkpoint and at the top of Hawnby Hill. I should have take a photo of the bunting and the many inflatables, but I just one halfway up the climb which was telling us what was to come...

The views from Hawnby Hill are amazing. 

If you have never been to Hawnby and climbed the hill, I would highly recommend it !

Down Hawnby Hill to the next checkpoint where they had honeydew melon slices, heaven !

Another climb and a run alongside Easterside Hill, which is a section I love and then another climb up Bilsdale West Moor before descending (thanks to Peter Hunt for this one)

to the checkpoint where Gillian and Eric were volunteering. It was great to see them 😃Then its back to the southern Hornby, before the horrible road climb out on Murton Bank. I really don't enjoy this climb, it seem to go on and on.

Finally I reached the checkpoint at the top (thanks to Vicky Maidens for this one)

and it was lovely to see Sara volunteering there ! Jon had mentioned that there was to be diversion as he hadn't got permission for us to run through Deep Gill Wood so we had a smoother run and avoided this from previous years

which was a bit of relief. Generally the route was much more runnable this year being so dry. Via some lovely woods 

and on to Rievalux Abbey

If there had been an ice cream van in the car park we passed with no queue, I would have stopped, but there wasn't.

On past this lovely garden

and plodding now to the final checkpoint, where Lorna and Adrian welcomed me. I managed to run a bit more after this then I normally do, but I stopped at these stepping stones

to soak my buff and squeeze the water down my neck and rinse my face.

Before we climbed out of this section, we came across this lovely building

I can't remember whether it was there last year. We climbed out of the valley and wind has developed into more than a light breeze and it was kicking up lots of dust and I had to put my sunglasses back on - I have never had a problem with dust before at a Hardmoors event !

I didn't stop at an extra checkpoint at Cold Kirby as there was less than 2 miles to go and I could see I was going to get a course pb. And I did  I came in with something around 6hrs 16min, a 27min course pb.

So overall, it was a lovely event and I will be back next year. There are to be no targets for a while, just carrying on doing events that I enjoy 😃

2016 blog