Hardmoors 110 race report

A few thoughts on how the race panned out for me - tea and biscuits time ;-)

Link to Dave's blog

Failed attempt to complete the Hardmoors 110

I tried and failed at my first attempt to run more than 100 miles. The Hardmoors 110 is a 113 mile trail/easy fell race around the North York Moors. It mainly follows the route of the Cleveland Way, starting in Helmsley, crossing the hills and moors, and then follows the coast from Saltburn down to Whitby and Scarborough before ending in Filey. The race began at 8am on Saturday morning, with runners required to reach Filey before dark on Sunday night.

My first half of the race went well. A dry morning was followed by a wet and windy afternoon on the hills but it cleared up by early evening. At 58 miles at Saltburn, I felt strong and confident that I would finish, having worked my way up the field to lie in 5^th place. However, I dropped out at Runswick Bay, 12 miles down the coast, after my ME symptoms began to kick in. Ultras are full of ups and down. At one moment you feel like you cannot possibly go on because of lack of energy, stomach aches, leg pain etc. Then a couple of miles later you bounce back and are raring to go. For those used to running marathons, it is like hitting a series of walls but with peaks in energy in between.

In this case, however, there was nothing I could do. To keep a very long story short: I had first been ill with probable Lyme Disease seven years ago. This affected my heart, lungs, brain, spinal cord, hearing and vision, leaving me housebound. Once the Lyme Disease faded away, it left me with ME, which in my case shared many of the same symptoms as the Lyme Disease. Rehab was long, slow and painstaking. From being housebound, I began a programme of graded exercise, gradually being able to walk to the end of my drive several times a day and then increasing the distance only very gradually, months later reaching a mile. A year later I was up to 10 miles. I continued to increase the distance very slowly, as any significant jump in distance triggered illness. I’d always wanted to do ultra marathons and decided to build up to one.

The long training runs of most ultra runners are just 30-35 miles, albeit off-road and on hills, but I made sure that I could complete the distance in training before attempting any race. This is good for mental strength but is not considered the best training strategy for speed! I completed my first 55-65 mile races last year and also managed 65 miles in training. All the advice that I gleaned from books, websites and more experienced ultra runners was that I would be unable to complete a 100 mile race after running the same distance in training. I convinced myself that having run so far in training that I’d be ok in the Hardmoors 110 and the ME was the least of my worries in preparing for the race. I did my last 50 mile training run 9 weeks before the race and concentrated on speed. However, at about 68-69 miles I began badly shivering and overheating, became dizzy and my eyesight began to fail. I knew the signs and sadly retired from the race. I went for my first run just two days after the race and felt fine. This fast recovery suggests that I’ve got a good level of ultra fitness that was not tapped in the race, which is both welcome and frustrating as I ended the race with too much in the tank.

I’ll now have to go back to Plan A and resume my fortnightly long runs, hopefully pushing beyond 70 and then 80 miles over the course of the summer, depending on the amount of climb involved. I really enjoy them in any case. The 95 mile West Highland Way race could be a good option for next year before I make another attempt on a 100 miler. While off-road, it’s got less total ascent than either the Hardmoors or the Lakeland 100.

For those considering doing a long ultra, it’s worth pointing out that the atmosphere at the race was great. Runners helped each other out with food, drink and navigation and there was a big round of applause at each checkpoint. Dave Troman of KAC came a magnificent 2nd in the race (please get in touch Dave. I’d love to have a chat). There was also a 160 mile option over the weekend, with runners starting the evening before we did. I saw two of them half carrying a third up a hillside. The funny thing was that my wife Caz, who ran to support me on a 12 mile leg in the dark, was so impressed by all the suffering that she plans to do one next year. We're a funny species!

Neil Ford.

Autumn road relays 2014

The dates for the autumn road relays are now available and are as follows:

Sat 13th Sept - North West Road Relays (Men's 4 & Women's 3 Stage) - Stockport
Sat 20th Sept - Northern Men's 6 & Women's 4 Stage Relays - Birchwood
Sat 4th Oct - ERRA National Men's 6 & Women's 4 Stage Stage Relays - Sutton Park, Birmingham

The fell relays this year are as follows:

Sun 5th Oct - Ian Hodgson Mountain Relay
Sun 19th Oct - British Fell & Hill Relay Championships

If you require any further information please contact Men's Captain - Steve Hebblethwaite.

Keswick AC at the Northern 6 Stage in 2012

 

Pics from Latrigg Race 2014

Mostly Keswick AC runners - even some of the ones not wearing Team Kit!

Gosforth Ten Mile Road Race

Wednesday 11th June 2014



Start 7:00 pm from Wellington (adjacent to the old Walkmill Garden Centre)

Finish at Gosforth Playing Field

Late entries at the Playing Field Pavilion from 5.00pm

Fun Run starts at 7.15pm at the playing field


(Fun Run entry form at www.blengdalerunners.co.uk or enter on the night at the playing field)

A 10 mile road race on a scenic, undulating course. Race open to all aged 17 and over, no matter how fast or slow. England Athletics Permit applied for.

Course well marshalled with markers at every mile. Regular water stations.

Memento’s to all finishers & Prizes in all categories

Entry Fee :-

£7.00 for members of UK Athletics affiliated clubs or £9.00 for unattached Runners


Entry on the day or visit:

www.runnersworld.co.uk

Pure Outdoors Events 2014

Whinlatter 5 - 28th June 6.30pm

Whinlatter 5 is a 5 mile trail event open to runners and nordic walkers set within the beautiful Whinlatter Forest, near Keswick, Cumbria. The route starts and finishes at the Visitor Centre, climbing to the summit of Seat How giving fantastic views across Bassenthwaite and Keswick beyond. Whinlatter 5 has teamed up with Go Ape who are offering all competitors a 15% discount on Saturday 28th and Sunday 29th, so you could swing through the trees with the family in the afternoon and then run/walk through them in the early evening! All event information can be found at www.pureoutdoorsevents.co.uk

 

The inov-8 Grand Tour of Skiddaw - 23rd/24th August 8.00am

The inov-8 Grand Tour of Skiddaw is a 44 mile unmarked trail run with a climb up the mighty Skiddaw at the halfway point, giving 7136 feet of ascent. The event starts and finishes at the impressive Lime House School, Dalston, Cumbria with camping available all weekend. The competitors are provided with detailed route notes, map and gpx file of the route. The event is open to solo runners and teams of 2. All event information can be found at www.pureoutdoorsevents.co.uk

 

The Cumbria Way Ultra - 13th/14th September 6.00am

The Cumbria Way Ultra is a 73 unmarked trail run which follows the iconic Cumbria Way trail from Ulverston to Carlisle, passing through Coniston, Langdales, Keswick and Caldbeck. It is a relatively low level route showcasing the stunning and varied views of the Lake District. The event is open to solo runners and relay teams of 2 (relay legs - 43 and 30 miles), and relay teams of 5 (relay legs - 15, 13, 15, 15 and 15 miles). All event information can be found at www.pureoutdoorsevents.co.uk

 

The Hope Skeleton Run - 31st October 7.30pm

The original Skeleton Run, now in it's 6th successful year is a 5 mile night trail run open to runners and nordic walkers set in The Beacon Hill Country Park, Leicestershire. The Skeleton Run is a great introduction to running at night, and being Halloween, fancy dress isn't compulsory but definitely encouraged! Break out the fake blood and cobwebs... All event information can be found at www.theskeletonrun.co.uk

 

The Hope Northern Skeleton Run - 1st November 6.30pm

Now in it's 2nd year The Northern Skeleton Run is set in the spooky Whinlatter Forest, near Keswick, Cumbria. The event is open to runners and nordic walkers - can you beat The Grim Sweeper? All event information can be found at www.theskeletonrun.co.uk

 

The Winter Beast - 16th November 11.00am

Fancy a dirty weekend? The Beast is a 'double or quit' 5 or 10 mile adventure race set on an equine x country course in Leicestershire. Can you tame the 40 ish (who's counting?) obstacles usually tackled by animals with 4 legs, water, hills, water, mud, camouflage netting, and did I mention water? All event information can be found at www.thebeastrun.co.uk

WCOC

WCOC are putting on a new classic long orienteering race - similar friendly, informal format as the Copeland Chase which is popular with many fell runners - Sunday 29th June - fells around Whinlatter - 16km, 12km and 8km courses with plenty of climb - for details follow this link: http://www.wcoc.co.uk/pages/Allerdale_Chase_v3.pdf