I have been so lazy with this one and it shows. It has been over a month since I did the Hardmoors 55 and I still haven’t made a race report. It is still fresh in my mind so this probably won’t be as long as the others as I cannot remember exact detail.
Basically what happened was:
Started off really well
Middle bit went absolutely pants to the point of throwing in the towel
Ended really strong then nearly puked up
That is the most basic summary I can give you before the breakdown of what went on.
The start:
So I started off really well, I started off near back of the pack and worked my way through. Didn’t really rush a lot of it and just kept my head down practicing what I had been practicing in the recces. I felt really good going into Kildale knowing where I could chill out and where I could go a bit harder. Got to the turning for clay bank check point and that is where it started going downhill.
I thought I had got to a really run able part of the course after a good up hill stop and start but the wind was so strong you risked getting chucked off your feet or you felt like you where running on a treadmill! Quite a lot of people threw in the towel here and decided not to continue. Being honest felt a little bit disappointed that I couldn’t run that section as when I was in training I ran that bit quite well. I was itching to get back to some decent running which I couldn’t do easily.
The middle:
Now I said that turning for Clay bank check point was a slog but this is where the real issues began as I started to ascend my way up onto the three sisters. The three sisters were definitely laughing their arses off at me that day and nearly decided they didn’t like me in the slightest. As I was along the top I really needed the toilet but there was absolutely no where to go as it was so open spaced. This caused me not to drink a lot which was vital to getting me up and over. Also not only did I need a wee but TMI coming up, I really needed the number two option as well. Ultra running may seem glamourous but it really isn’t when you’re in that sort of situation. So the combo of needing a wee and the other end was a recipe for disaster. I managed to have a wee by the way as a gent helped me quickly find a spot whilst out on the course but I still wasn’t fully relieved. Stomach issues aside we then had the great issues of the inside of my knees cramping up like an absolute bitch on me. I have never had that bad of cramp whilst running in all the times that I had done it and each time I managed to run it off. It cam back the vengeance as soon as I started back up hill again. It was like I was loosing a constant battle and it was getting to me a fair bit. I was more angry than sad and I was kicking off in a great way. Normally I would want to go hide in a bush and cry but the angry swearing kept that at bay.
Once I got over that hell there was a café 10km outside off Osmotherly which was the last of the major check points. I had to ask if I could use their toilet and oh my god it felt so good. This is the side of ultra running you need to be prepared for, not just the running but the willingness to do anything out there. I don’t mind a wild wee but a wild poo would just end me I reckon unless I was really that desperate.
After I got the luxury of a porcelain throne we got on our way to Osmotherly and I was struggling still. Due to the lack of eating and the lack of fluids I was feeling rather ill and on the verge of puking up my guts. This kind lady started feeding me some sweets to get my blood sugar back up and ran me into the check point I was aiming for. I didn’t feel ill on the flats or down hill but the uphill’s was making my stomach churn with every step. She actually gave me loads of bits from here drop bag and loaded me up with more food. I even ate some gluten free pizza and it was like a super fuel. I started to feel so much more better and decided I could get my ass in gear to get the final 35km done.
The ending:
I took off from the checkpoint quite chilled so the first 10km or so wasn’t pushing too hard. Main reason is I didn’t know if what I ate was going to upset my stomach or not so I didn’t want to start running then be back at square 1 again. Once I got to the Sutton bank paradise farm area I was off. I knew where I was, I knew where I was going and I just wanted to get it done straight into home. I even caught up to those who had left me at Osmotherly and gave them a good battle as well! Many where surprised to see me come up behind them to say hi and then I just darted off. I got scared by a rat on a farm track, made me scream which was a bit embarrassing but I couldn’t care less. I was going to finish, I was going to make it in and I was going to defy the odds.
On the 15km home stretch I had managed to even have a few mini battles so I still had something in the tank to give back. When I came into the ending I was absolutely chuffed that I managed to fight it into the end and catch up to the back of the mid pack. I was mostly top/mid pack for most the race till the ending of stomach issues I was told when I finished. If it wasn’t for the stomach issues I would of probably finished a lot higher up the chain but now I know for next time what I am expecting and what to do. Some of the people I had passed on the farm track got in after me and asked how I had managed to catch them up on the 35km stretch into home. I didn’t know what to say really as I didn’t even know myself. I do wish that race could’ve gone a lot better than I wanted it to. part of me feels like it is unfinished business and part of me feels like it is done and dusted.
Ah yeah, the puking part at the end. I managed to eat, have a cup of tea and have a few chats but something didn’t feel right. I couldn’t find the toilet and the lady who was giving out medals had to shove me outside. The medic who does most of the events literally had to have a laugh and say it proves that I pushed it to get in. We had a great conversation as he knows me from sweeping and lucky I didn’t puke. He did say that it was probably the most tame thing he has had all day and he knew I would pull through even if I did puke. Got to have a laugh at these things and got a compliment on my shorts as well from one of the marshals on the door.
Overall though it was a great learning experience that I thoroughly enjoyed. I didn’t come in the time I wanted to come in but there is always next time. I took away many lessons from:
- Just pee anywhere, no one cares
- Need to eat more food!
- Sweets are needed
- Actually contemplating using poles
Taking these bits of wisdom into my next race which is a 40 miler in June across the Wolds way. We start off in the hull area and make our way up to Malton which is where I am hoping to reside in soon. Think about that though, the finish will be on my door step! Along with my electrolyte tablet I am also going to trying to eat food every 6km with it so I do not get that hungry or any blood pressure drops. Not sure how well it will go but if that fails then I will be looking at a nutritionist to help sort me out.
Time completed: 14:11:01 9:52 /KM pace 2840 metres of ascent
Photo up on Sutton bank as the sun started to set on my way back in
Rare race photo of myself coming down Roseberry topping with the shorts in question
LCW FITNESS 