That was a pretty crazy race from start to finish and where do I begin?
Pathfinder is a legacy run that was originally held by the scouts years ago around middlesborough. The idea is to get to the checkpoints by navigating your way round. No path is a wrong path and as long as you get clocked you’re fine. Shelly Gordon from Lets run decided to revive this 40 year old race I think around 4 years ago so the badge you get has the orginal scout logo on it to show hold to it’s history.
For starters I was nearly late to registration. I had around 10-5 mins left to get it sorted. I woke up late in the morning and also had to pack my bag in the same time frame before leaving.
I always reccomend being prepared the night before and definitly do not reccomend doing that on a morning. I feel bad for my other half who had listen to me ferret around for my gear in the wardrobe at 6 in the morning on a sunday.
Note to self: do not go to a gig on the friday night then go to the ice hockey on a saturday night. You will be knackered and you will probably sleep in!
Depsite the rush start, I started off quite well in the race going up over the moors towards guisborough from commondale. I did suffer with cramp in my calves which was strange as I never really suffered with cramp there before. It has always happened in my quads later on but never this early.
It dawned upon me afterwards that going out on just coffee was probably the main factor as you guessed it, I didn’t eat any breakfast before I went out.
I had a lovely chat with a guy called Stephen about ticks and heather. He asked if I had done it before and had looked at the route before hand so I explained the recce situation I had before with having to turn back to get some legs on me.
When I say legs I mean leggings. I just cannot be bothered to actually say leggings sometimes so legs it is.
Now I was in a bit of awe after a while that I spoke to the Stephen Kirk like it was something casual. This guy has one multiple races and he was so chill just talking about ticks.
So recceing the route actually helped me but there was a slight route chnage as you head to guisborough woods. I had planned that but then they changed it up so you woudn’t have to go down there. Which was fine but you had to climb a big hill to get back to the area that you needed to be in.
I bumped into a couple of ladies that would eventually overtake me on the final bit and then ended up chatting with another chap who was doing so well till he got really lost out on Danby rigg and we didn’t see him again till the end.
I ended up chatting to a guy called Matt. Now Matt works with my other half and I don’t remember meeting him before but we have been at a few christmas do’s together.
What I didn’t realise is that I was in either 1st or 2nd for most the way round. It wasn’t till this lovely guy called Graham caught up with me around 20km in and said “you are in for a 4 and a half hour marathon”.
In all honesty I didn’t believe him at that stage and I just nodded and said cool. We got chatting and he has had such a rough life and found happiness in running.
Graham was certain I was going to podium, in my head it was a great confidence boost but my legs were defintly going to deny that later on.
Danby rigg, lovely to go to, hellish climbing and I followed him up and out as he was saying it was a difficult way to navigate out of it especially if you don’t know the area. So many wrong ways you could take that that would give you unneccesary ways around that wouldn’t benefit you in the slightest.
In the end I ended up coming 4th after battling it out for either 1st or 2nd. On the final stage coming off the rigg and back onto the road for commondale, the road got to my quads and I was suffering. Two ladies just casually breezed past me and I wasn’t even bothered at that stage.
I was just happy that I even got close to podium and that race will always be one of the highlights. At the end you get a certificate and a patch instead of a medal. I actually prefer the patch option over a medal as it means that I can sew it onto a hoodie or something and make it more rememberable. Most medals I have are just shoved in a draw somewhere and that includes most of my karate medals as well.
This race defintly shows that speed training and hill training works but without a long run or two in the week I definitly lacked in that department. I also find that I’m really motivated to get back into training after these things but when it gets to it I don’t have the motivation to get back out. I have been to the gym and done a small speed session but cannot bring myself to do a long run. I will probably get back into doing the gym and small sessions properly then add my long run back in within the week. Think I am planning for a thursday trip as I have the day off from work and it’s a perfect day where I am home alone to get back out there again.
LCW FITNESS 