Ultra's 11 to 15

Sorry I haven’t ‘Blogged’ in a while just haven’t had chance due to lack of time. This blog is really a Catch up with only a few lines about each race ( if I wrote full reports on each race, you would be then reading this in August :0( )

HARDMOORS 55 (Ultra 11 )

I managed to get 2 hours sleep the night before the race ( Last minute race organisation ) A fast start fuelled by adrenalin (again Race Directing nerves) and optimistically following a 10 hr schedule. Fell to bits at about 37 miles (Blowarth Crossing) Picked back up at Kildale felt good at Roseberry and finished in 11hrs in 26th place, 2011 time was 10hrs 28 mins….

HARDMOORS 110 Recce (Ultra 12 )

This run I helped a 110 competitor with a 30 mile recce of the route from Square Corner Osmotherley to Slapewath. I was pretty ill throughout the duration of the run to the extent that if I hadn’t felt like this before at the TDS in 2011 then I was sure I would probably die on route :0)

Very High Pulse, chest tightness and pains, excessive sweating etc (Yes I was well hydrated)

Needless to say no I didn’t have a great time ;0(

BLUBBERHOUSES 25 (Ultra 13)

Beautiful course made even better by having Shirley with me for this race. Ran with and enjoyed the company of Dan Aldus and Mark Dalton for a while. Came off course following 2 other runners who had taken the wrong turning and ended up adding an extra couple of miles to the course. Finished the route in just over 4 hours. Sat and chatted for awhile after the race then ran the extra 2 miles I needed for the event to be an Ultra (note to myself, never sit down for awhile before adding the extra miles on to the end)

BOB GRAHAM RECCE (Ultra 14 )

Ran with Rorie Macintosh section 3 and 4 of the Bob Graham. Dunmail Raise to Wasdale via the Langdales, Bow Fell and the Scafells into Wasdale, then from Wasdale to Honister Pass via Yebarrow, Red Pike, Steeple, Pillar, Kirk Fell and the Gables. Weather was pretty wet and nasty, a trip to Keswick Moot Hall Chippie saved the day!

CALDERDALE (38mile option well kind of ;0) ) (Ultra 15)

A fiasco from the start but highly enjoyable fun and was actually running well for the duration.

We arrived 20 minutes late at the start after being sent in the complete wrong direction by a man walking his dog. We went through registration and pressed on, everyone had left awhile ago and I hadn’t marked out my map and started running blind. Eventualy without the aid of my glasses (in the car) I managed to mark on the map the checkpoints but couldn’t work out from the dozens of footpaths the best ones to take. While searching for CP2 I received a call from the organisers asking if we were okay and if the challenge was too much, if we were fit enough to complete the coures (our route choices where possibly the longest routes we could take, and we had lost a lot of time) I knew the best way to the next checkpoint (this particular bit was similar to Haworth Hobble but in reverse) so we made pretty quick work of it and then rang the organisers, they realised with our timing it was a navigational error rather then fitness. We finished the 38 mile route in 10 hours covering a distance of closer to 48 miles but due to missing one early checkpoint we were classed as 27 mile option runners ( I wasn’t too fussed as it was another Ultra and David Cremmins got his marathon) I ran the event in Hokas, in areas where I thought Hokas would let me down And no they proved me wrong and where once again fantastic!

Recently I have missed a weekly Ultra. (This was one of my planned  Ultra free weeks) I still managed to get some decent runs in  around London and up and down Roseberry. 

NEXT FEW WEEKS (May to June)

Sat 12th May   Ingleborough Marathon (27miles)

Sat 19th May   Bob Graham Round (65 - 72 miles?)

Sat 26th May   Dukeries Ultra (40miles)

Sun 27th May   Leaden Boot (27miles)

After Bob Graham next big races -

June -West Highland Way Race 95miles (Adding 5 miles on the end to make it 100)

July - Lakeland 100

August - Glenmore 24hr  (minimum target of 100 miles)