Waking up at 5am, I crawled out of bed past a sleepy Ellie and struggled into my running kit, did the usual putting top on back to front etc. After a quick breakfast of porridge, a banana and coffee we hit the road to Osmotherley.
After parking up and registering in the village hall I proceeded to get kitted up. In the end I chose to wear my Salomon S-Lab XT Wings 4 with Bridgedale Speed Demons. These are a well used pair of shoes that have done some serious milage, advantage was they were super comfy and had a bit of grip left on them, the Spikecross were too much of a gamble if there were paved sections of path and I wasn't certain my new S-Lab XT Wings 5 were really broken in enough for that distance.
I had some 2XU Leggings on to give me full coverage from the elements rather than shorts and calf guards - It was a very clear sunny morning but to say the moors are exposed is an understatement and wind was almost guaranteed! Top layer I just had a long sleeve Salomon Tech T with my Salomon S-Lab Advanced Set 5 full of Clif Shot Bloks and two Clif Bars. Little did I know but one of these was quite probably going to save my bacon! I also had a sleeveless wind shirt, Buff and power stretch gloves tucked away. As the sun was tearing its way through the sky I put on my visor and kept some sunglasses to hand ready for what lay ahead.
The race started at 9am and the crowd began its way up the road like sand through a timer, thinning out gradually. I tucked in just behind the leader and trailed him, matching pace on the flats and the uphills, as for the downs I let my legs run loose and stretch out which got me momentarily in front before he crept in front again. All I was thinking was I only want to win, and to win I only need to be at the front, so if I stick just behind him I can put a spike of energy in during the later stages of the race and fingers crossed keep in front. Well, little did I know it then but that plan was about to go out the window tied to a brick.
Climbing into some woodland I noticed something didn't feel right, my stomach was turning, it wasn't adrenaline or excitement, I felt sick, really really sick. I did a quick mental diagnostic to try and find a solution to the problem, deciding to hold off the Clif shot bloks for now (which I had previously planned to take 3 after every 45mins) and just sip a little water to settle it out. I waited for something to happen, but it was getting worse, my stomach was now clenching tighter and tighter and the sick feeling was hard to restrain.
After a short while the tree line disappeared to reveal a magnificent view over the moors and the lowlands, temporarily all my ailments floated away as I was struck in awe at the scenery. A crystal clear reminder of why I love running in events like this, there might be hill after hill but the views more than made up for it without a doubt.
Before long the sickness returned, 'screw it' I thought, I'll hold off the food and drink for a while to just let it settle out - I've eaten enough calories in the last 48hours to keep me going for a while. Up on the moors the sun was relentless, matched only by the gusty wind which stole the feeling of the suns warmth. There was a fairly long section where there was very little height change, I was almost fooled into thinking that this might be easy. With the field of runners now thinned out a great deal I could only see two ahead and one behind. I didn't see it coming but out of no-where a huge patch of mist covered the trail, visibility dropped down to about 80m and I concentrated hard to make sure I didn't miss a turn. It soon disappeared, and I plodded on, trying not to think about being sick and just enjoying the trail.
Then the hills started, it wasn't the height of the ascents and descents that made them tricky but the steepness and the terrain - most of the trail was paved which was easy to slip on (I managed a couple of stunt-man-meets-tom-and-jerry style slips) which was tricky for the downhills with only a very small slippery grass trail as an alternative. Uphills were too steep to run efficiently and it never got any easier.
Expending all this energy I knew I would have to eat soon or it was going to catch up with me big time, at first I tried one Clif Shot Blok at a time, waiting about 5 mins after each one and varying the flavours (I had three options with me) but things were still not right. about another 30 mins on I decided to crack into the chic chip Clif Bar I had stowed away in my pack... before I started to eat it I knew I would eat the whole thing, whatever the consequences... it was time to just hit and hope.
I can tell you right now that Clif Bar was the most amazing thing I have ever eaten in a race... I mean I've used them before plenty of times but I've never appreciated them so much. Although I still felt a bit sick I could keep it down and the boost of energy hit me like a runaway train. It wasn't just a physical boost too, mentally I was back in the game, this bar was a total lifesaver! I managed a grin for a photographer perched on the side of the trail before descending to a water check point. A quick gulp of water and a cup over my head and I was on my way again. It took another 25 mins before the grim unsettled stomach made another attach. The trail along the side of the moors was very wet and very muddy. To be honest by then I was past caring whether my feet got wet - I should have, but the lack of food and water mixed with the heat had made me a little more loopy than usual. I cracked on through the mud which eventually finished where it met an earlier part of the course, I could see runner after runner going in the other direction with whom I tried to exchange the odd nod/hello etc.
The trail then became a lot dryer but with many small ups and downs which meant I couldn't get into a proper rhythm, I just kept thinking crack on Matt, keep going, not long left.
After some more well placed hills to smash any energy you might have tucked away for safe keeping the trail wound its way over a a valley and back onto the moors for one last bit of exposure before leading onto a muddy wooded trail back into Osmotherley which was alive with the sound of hikers and dog walkers. Fortunately as this was mostly downhill I could just let my body go a bit and picked up speed but about a mile away from the finish a blister on my left foot burst which felt a bit like a bread knife being stabbed into my foot. Some quick thinking I ran straight into the nearest deep puddle and the ice cold water quickly seeped into my shoe, numbing the pain. Where the trail ended and lead onto the final stretch of road a couple stood clapping and shouted "well done, you're nearly there!". Using every last drop of energy I could find I pushed on for the finish, my stomach was clenching like a mace, my muscles were not very pleased with the whole thing but adrenaline pumped through my veins. Closing on the finish I heard Ellie shouting and cheering me on which gave me an extra boost as I crossed the line. Falling to the floor by the side of the road Ellie came and dragged me into the village hall where I was signed in and Ellie put the medal round my neck.
Well that was an adventure and a half! Massive thanks to Ellie for helping me prepare, looking after me and putting up with a broken man! Thanks also to all the Hardmoors team, marshals etc - you made this event what it is and I will definitely be back for more!
As and when the results and photos are online I'll add them to the post! Thanks for reading!
Good Effort!
ReplyDeleteCheers Dave!
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