Hardmoors 26.2 Series Osmotherley - 22/05/2016

This would be marathon/ultra race number 14 since my first in October 2013.  Along the way there have been ups and downs and in a strange way it was almost like they were all encapsulated here in this one race.  There were certainly plenty of ups to contend with that's for sure...

New marathon bling - Yay!

I had been looking forward to this race for a wee while as its is part of the Hardmoors 26.2(ish) series which are brilliant trail marathons with challenging routes in the North York Moors.  This one was no different.

The route takes in some of the most scenic parts of the Cleveland Way from Osmotherley, over the Three Sisters and then out on a loop deep into the Moors taking in the pretty village of Chop Gate before finally heading back through pretty woodland trails to finish back in Osmotherley.

I know the route well as I have clocked a lot of miles over the Three Sisters in training and as part of the route of the Hardmoors 55 ultra last year.  Ben and I had an epic recce only a month earlier in apocalyptic weather which in hindsight proved to be good preparation.  It would be a tester, with over 5,000 feet of ascent and particularly with Hardmoors miles tending to be on the long side (this race was about 28.5 miles long!).

My old buddy Ben was also excited to have a crack at another Hardmoors marathon after we had such a blast at Roseberry Topping in December.  When he finally gets round to running a road marathon, he will get a personal best by at least two hours such is the toughness of these routes!

Unlike at Roseberry though, this time we would be running separately which would be a new dimension to the challenge for Ben particularly as we wouldn't be able to support each other on the way round.

Ben rocking his Scunthorpe HM shirt!
Photo credit: Paul Munster

After the race briefing, Jon the race director led us up to the race start at the top of the village and we were soon on our way climbing into the woods on the first of many steep ascents.  I set off quickly as I knew the first of the big climbs was a few miles away and I was keen to get some momentum early on.  The strong sun made it seriously hot work on the climbs as we left the cover of the trees onto the open Moor.

Hot day on the beautiful Moors!
Photo credit: Chris P Rice

Good progress was made for the first ten miles or so before a steep climb back up from the aid station (and some restorative coke) onto the spectacular Wainstones.  Here hiking up became a quicker tactic than running the steep hills.  We crossed runners coming the other way who were yet to tackle the climb and we high fived on the way past.  The camaraderie on these events is superb with everyone being so friendly and willing each other on.  I got a little lift from the others as we cheered each other on as we crossed.  I looked for Ben, but he was making such good progress himself he wasn't that far behind so I didn't cross over with him.

Photo credit: Paul Munster

After a short climb after the Wainstones, the route heads into the Moors proper before descending to Chop Gate.  As I arrived in the village, I had started to feel very weary which was worrying with so far yet to go.  I passed bikers sat drinking beers in the sunshine outside the Buck Inn which didn't improve my now ebbing morale.

The long climb out of Chop Gate is the longest of the day and seriously draining on tired legs.  It was here where I was first struck with some seriously debilitating cramp which started in the calves and gradually spread to my hamstrings and quads.  I have experienced cramp off and on in sport for my whole life but this was as bad as I've ever experienced, worse even than I've had on much longer ultras.

Suffice to say that my early good work was rapidly undone as I was reduced to an agonised walk/hobble and even at some points a complete standstill.  I was caught by quite a few runners on Barkers ridge as we started the long journey back towards the Cleveland Way and home.  Fair play to them, every runner who passed me asked to make sure I was ok.

Matching blisters - Summer trails are definitely harder on the plates of meat!

I struggled on like a wounded animal for the last eleven miles as the cramp just wouldn't let up.  I have to admit that it did take the edge off my enjoyment of the race despite the stunning scenery as I was in a lot of pain for the last two hours of the race.  My mood was briefly lifted when I was joined by a beautiful fox cub on the woodland trail who no doubt found me to be a curious creature cursing and limping through the woods.

It was a relief to finally round the last few corners into the outskirts of Osmotherley village where another old friend Chris had hiked a little way up the trail to take this picture of me suffering.

Grimace for the camera! Photo credit: Chris Pickwell

Thankfully, a few minutes later I was relaxing with a beer in the sunshine with Chris as we waited for Ben to arrive.

Way sooner than either of us were expecting, a topless bearded warrior came thundering down the High Street as Ben finished looking very strong.  It was great to see him do so well and also to see him progress over the last year, he seems to get stronger now with every race.

By the time he joined us at the pub the memories of the pain had already started to fade and we were soon trading stories of what had been an epic run.

As I write this my legs are still extremely tender from the prolonged cramping.  I'm refusing to feel too discouraged though.  I'm putting it down to a combination of heat, the quick start, a big effort the previous weekend at the North Lincs Half and not enough recent conditioning in the hills.

I've still got time to do something about the latter before the Ultimate Trails 110k in the Lakes in July. As with all ultras, it is 100% guaranteed to hurt, but a little easier on the cramps would be a start!

Once again, a big thanks to the Hardmoors family. The organisers, volunteers and everyone else involved without whom these brilliant races could not happen. What a special trail running community this is.  I can't wait to be joining you all again for some more punishment soon!

The North Lincs Half - 15/05/2016

Since being bitten by the ultra trail running bug almost two years ago I have run a lot of slow miles. They've been beautiful, muddy and tough but slow.  This training was essential for getting through three mighty ultras last year but I have been wondering whether I have been simply training myself to run long and slow.  

I do have a decent natural pace when I put my mind to it, so in addition to my one big trail race this summer at the UT 110k, I want to rediscover some of it and make some inroads into my road times this year.  The first opportunity would be at a race that is becoming a fixture, the North Lincs half in my boyhood town of Scunthorpe which I would be running for the third time.  It is pancake flat with a great opportunity for fast times and also to run with some of my old buddies from home.

Great to see you Mr Ellis
Photo credit Chris Pickwell

About five weeks out from the race I started to introduce one quicker run into my week to get myself used to clocking some faster kilometres ready for the race.  The sessions were hard as I'm so used to just steadilly accumulating the miles, but as a result my natural cruising pace quickly dropped by around 15 secs per mile.  After a few weeks, I was able to increase the distance covered at the faster pace and I started to feel more confident in having a really good crack at my half marathon time of 1h 28mins at this race.

Spot the Matt...
Photo credit Roger Kimberley-Scott

As it happened, the day dawned with perfect conditions, bright sunshine with a gentle cool breeze. As with last year, my old pals were there with me.  Ben, whose running is improving all the time was also looking to crack a personal best and Mark was just seeing how it went after having run a cracking race here last year.  On the start line it was a lovely surprise to bump into a friendly face in Gary Ellis, an old school friend who told me he has started running relatively recently back home in Liverpool.

Perfect conditions
Photo credit Scunthorpe Telegraph

As well as being flat, the course is quite scenic as it winds its way through villages outside the town and it still ends on the pitch in the football ground which is a nice way to finish.  I hope they can retain this when Scunthorpe United get a new ground soon.  Plenty of folks had turned out to cheer us on  along the route in the morning sunshine.

Mark breaks his 5k pb at the start, oops!
Photo credit: Roger Kimberley-Scott

I had worked out my splits for a one minute pb and resolved to stick with that pace as long as possible, fully expecting to fade a little at the end.  In reality I found that hitting the splits bang on was quite hard and ended up running several seconds per kilometre under.  I just went with it as we raced through the country lanes, fully expecting some painful payback later on.

I did hit a tricky patch around ten miles but it was more of a drifting of concentration than physical fatigue.  I quickly snapped out of it though and with only three miles to go I managed to get back on track and it wasn't long before we were rounding the corner for the long straight back to Scunthorpe. It was here I started to pass those who had gone out too fast and started to wobble but passing them gave me more confidence and I was able to lift the pace again which came as a surprise given my faster than expected start.  Entering the stadium straining for a few extra seconds, I knew I was on for a decent time but I hadn't looked at my watch for a wee while so I had no idea until I saw the race timer on the finish line.

Photo credit Claire Lewis

Before the race I thought that to put a minute into my best time would be a brilliant result.  In the end I battered down the doors of my pb by two and a half minutes to get home in 1h 25min and 31sec, a dream time given I have only really started thinking about faster stuff recently.  Perhaps there is something in this speedwork thing after all...

Suffice to say I am chuffed with that.  Its nice to have a time which better matches the amount of work I put into my running.  Turns out it was a day for smashing records. The course record was broken and Gary (see you next year?) and Ben also claiming new pbs.  Mark had a tougher day out than last year having overcooked it a little at the start but was still smiling at the end and even Harrison came away with a medal for bossing the fun run.

Proud fun run finishers
Photo credit Scunthorpe Telegraph

Afterwards we retired for a gravy dinner and a couple of shandies to top off a fab weekend.  Thanks to all the volunteers and organisers who put together a really well organised race.

I'm returning to the hills next weekend with the awesomest trail running community at the Hardmoors Osmotherley Marathon.  Cannot wait!

The Haworth Hobble (Wuthering Hike) - 12/03/2016

Out on the wiley, windy moors - Kate Bush

The first race of 2016 and a true test.  A classic route taking in 32 miles of mud and hills in Bronte country, the beautiful West Yorkshire Pennines.

Since the start of last winter I confess its been a battle to maintain motivation to run at the same mileage levels I seemed to manage in the first half of 2015.  I seem to have had one illness after another and the ankle is still a long way off 100%.  To add to that I didn't get a number for the UTMB and after much consideration I also decided to withdraw from my Plan B race, the Hardmoors 110, because of the enforced route change (due to a clash on the same weekend with a load of inconsiderate bikeists on the Tour of Yorkshire).  All in all, there have been quite a few factors which have knocked my running mojo and I was hoping to at least partially rediscover it somewhere out there in the Hills of Bronte country.

The route started on the High Street in picturesque Haworth and then after an initial climb headed West on a long and fast descent passing several reservoirs in beautiful remote countryside.  My pace felt pretty good for the first half and there were plenty of veterans around to follow avoiding having to slow down for route finding and mapwork. I was particularly pleased to be around others who knew where they were going when the route descended through winding tracks and back gardens at one stage.  All in all reasonably good progress was made.

Beautiful Scenery in Bronte Country

The true challenge of this route was still to come though with the ground going from soft to heavy and two mighty climbs up to Stoodley Pike and then out of Mankinholes which all must be done on very tired legs.  Unsurprisingly it was here that I started to struggle, the climbs just seemed to take more out of my legs than usual making it really hard to pick the pace up again after each.  My momentum was lost and I never really managed to get moving at a reasonable pace again.

A slower pace meant I was running with a few folk for a change instead of on my own in the lonely 'no mans land' I sometimes find myself in.  I was grateful for the company, to chat and particularly when the others could point out the right direction.  I would definitely have got lost without them. There were still a couple of points where the lack of route knowledge caught up with me, notably in the last few hundred yards where I ran past a turnoff and lost quite a few places (but not much time).

It had been a fantastic route with incredible views, however I'm afraid to admit the end couldn't come soon enough for my aching body and slightly bruised ego.  I finished way outside the time I had hoped for but at least I understand why.  I'm just not as strong as I was this time last year, but hopefully there will be brighter times and better runs ahead for me in 2016.  

One of the major draws for this race was to see an area of Northern countryside I have never visited and to have a crack at a classic race I had heard so much about. It wasn't my best run and I'm not sure whether my mojo has been restored, but I have to say it really was worth the aching legs to see this beautiful part of the country, for the princely race entry fee of £13!

Would I do it again, definitely but I'll be aiming for a much stronger performance next time...

2015 A Badger's Running Year

Memories take us back, dreams take us forward.

In 2015 I've upped the ante.  I didn't quite make my 2,000 mile target due to injury (1,879 to be precise) but I still ran harder, further and faster than I've ever done before.

Three tough ultras, three trail marathons, one sprained ankle with a road marathon and a wee half thrown in for good measure.

The memories quickly fade which is why writing these little blogs has been so useful.  To remind myself of the highs and learn from the lows.

March - A chilly Hardmoors 55 and ultra number 3 for me

2015 Worst bits

• Sat slumped in the mud and rain 20 miles from my car after just spraining my ankle on a miserable recce of the Hardmoors 60.
• Two weeks moping about my UTMB chances slipping away with my injury.
• A hungover and bruising experience at the Rombalds Stride.
• Crawling (literally) out of bed the morning after the SDW100.

2015 Best bits

• Emerging into the lights of Helmsley and finishing strong at the Hardmoors 55.
• Smashing the 24 hour barrier in my first 100 miler at the SDW100.
• Incredible ultra trail running experiences meeting new people and discovering some epic trails all over the country. 
• Running through the pain barrier at the Hardmoors 60, three weeks after the sprained ankle and completing my UTMB points haul.
• Settling an old score with a road marathon pb in York.
• Running with my buddies at the North Lincs Half and the Roseberry Topping Trail Marathon.

Tough to see how I can top that lot next year.  A few races in the diary already but a lot rests on the UTMB ballot.  If I get lucky, I'm going to need to dream bigger again next year.  Its hard to imagine because its been tough at times this year both physically and mentally.

But hey, nothing worth having is won easily right? 

Hardmoors 26.2 Series Roseberry Topping - 13/12/2015

'In the depth of winter I finally learned that within me there is an invincible summer' - Albert Camus

So to my eighth and final race of 2015, a hilly winter marathon with a good mate for company looking to crack his first 26.2!

I am a huge fan of Jon Steele's Hardmoors Series having completed the Hardmoors 55 and 60 ultras earlier this year.  The races are well organised, relaxed and friendly and it just so happens they are all held up the road from me in the beautiful North York Moors.

So what better way to make your first foray into long distance trail running than a Hardmoors marathon for one of my oldest buddies Ben.

We arrived in time for the race briefing where we learned that Jon had thrown in an extra four miles or so to ensure we would get full value for money!  This would take the distance beyond 30 miles and towards the official 50km ultra distance - what an awesome (if unorthodox) way to break your marathon duck for him.

The briefing ended with a brilliant round of applause for hero ultra runner Dennis Potton who was amongst the runners on the day.  Dennis had found time to save a drowning child on his way to the finish of the Hardmoors 60 in September.

The sun had started to rise above the Moors as we left Guisborough Sea Cadets and made the first sticky, muddy ascent to High Cliff Nab on the Cleveland Way.  We were greeted by a spectacular sight as the sun lit up a snow crusted landscape with cloud enveloping the valley bottoms.  Wow, it doesn't get much better than conditions like this in December.

After taking us up Roseberry Topping (twice) and then on to Captain Cook's monument we made good progress on the frozen ground through Kildale and then up onto the High Moors.  A tough long climb then before leaving the Cleveland Way and descending East to Castleton and Commondale. The sun continued to shine all morning illuminating incredible frosty views in every direction.

Whilst receiving our punishment on Roseberry Topping, Rachel, Bobby and Simon were taking on the '10km' route which was actually closer to 9 miles!

Simon, Rachel and Bobby ready to go - Photo credit Suzanne Dunn

Well done ladies on your first trail race, and massive good luck to Simon taking on the mighty Marathon des Sables in 2016!

Our final climb back up onto the High Moor came after Commondale and by now the snow was melting fast in the sunshine leaving deep freezing puddles which Ben found soothing on his battered feet and I found plain horrible!  By now our pace had slowed a little but we determined to finish and it was a relief to finally reach the woods high above Guisborough as the light of the day began to fade a little.  Here we were caught by an experienced runner training for the Spine race in January, one of the world's toughest ultramarathons.  He was so impressed by learning Ben was taking on this tough challenge as his first marathon he had to stop in his tracks and shake him by the hand!

It was good to run hard down into Guisborough where we were cheered by waiting Bobby with our friends Chris and Becki who had arrived in time to cheer us home.  I didn't detect the shiny eyes promised by Ben at the finish line but I know we were both proud of finishing this tough run and it was a privilege to be there with him throughout his first marathon.  Massive respect buddy, that was a hard route to pick for your first one and you pushed it all the way to the end even when it got really tough.  I hope it will be the first of many for you!

Tough to kill! - Photo credit Chris Pickwell

Congratulations to the Hardmoors family (runners and volunteers) who created another brilliant event with excellent organisation, aid stations and most importantly that special friendly vibe.  I'll certainly be back for more in 2016 and hopefully with friends again too!

Yorkshire Marathon 11/10/2015

'It's no use going back to yesterday, because I was a different person then.' - Lewis Carroll, Alice in Wonderland

Exactly two years ago I had a harsh lesson delivered to me in the form of a painful and ultimately disappointing introduction to marathon running at the inaugural Yorkshire marathon here in York. 

 I followed my training plan and thought everything was in place to get me round in my target  time of three and a half hours.  In the end though I paced it badly, I hit the wall, cramped up and hobbled home painfully and disappointed 6 minutes outside my time.  

I know now that I was seriously underprepared.  

I found it tough to take but what happened to me in that race essentially kickstarted two years of incredible trail running adventures as I resolved to train harder, run further and be stronger so that I never have to feel that way again.  I am a different runner now, much stronger and I've certainly learned how to suffer better...!

Fast forward two years and my home marathon was looming again and I had got myself a number thinking I'd be in great shape to run a time I'd be happy with.  In reality though its been a tricky few months with injury curtailing my training and then a tough day out dragging myself round the Hardmoors 60 only a few weeks ago with the sprained ankle.

In my mind I had decided to withdraw from the marathon soon after finishing the Hardmoors.  The ankle has improved a lot but I knew a super quick time (for me) was out of the question.  In the few days before the race though, my decision not to run had started to nag at me.  I slowly started to realise that the desire to chase a time had blinded me to what an incredible experience and privilege it is to run a marathon and even better when its on your doorstep.

In the end the fear of missing out won.  I decided to run on the day before and immediately regretted overindulging at a function the previous Tuesday evening!

But what would my tactic be?  I didn't want to just trot round and treat it like a training run,  but I also knew that my recent prep would preclude a super quick time.

I decided to try to run the race I wanted to two years ago.

I ran comfortably with the pack surrounding the 3h 30 pacer telling myself that if my ankle started to hurt at any stage I would withdraw.  The weather conditions were perfect, the Minster looked glorious and the good people of York lined the route in their thousands cheering, clapping and keeping everyone supplied with jelly babies, musical entertainment and lots of love.

The ankle discomfort never materialised and I got stronger as the race unfolded.  The wall never came, the cramp never appeared and I ran a negative split coming home in 3h 25mins.

It was immensely cathartic to finally put those 2013 demons to rest.  To comfortably deliver the race I hoped to back then with no specific preparation shows how far I've come.  I'm so glad I didn't listen to my stupid ego telling me that its all about the time.  I know I can go faster but that's not the point.

Top photobombing.  I wondered what happened to my free yoghurt!

When I jump off this ultra treadmill for long enough I'd like to see how big a hole I can put into my marathon time.  For now though its good just to have one in the bank that doesn't have such a painful memory.

As the nights draw in, the call of the sofa and the duvet gets stronger.  To all of you braving the elements this winter and pounding the pavements and trails over the next few months extra respect. Good luck to you whatever your challenge.  Its certainly harder this time of year but way more rewarding.  You have my permission to feel that extra little bit smug!  See you out there...

The Hardmoors 60 - 19/09/2015

'Never look backwards or you'll fall down the stairs' - Rudyard Kipling

The Hardmoors 60 is a 62 mile ultramarathon on the coastal Cleveland Way trail between Guisborough and Filey. It passes over beautiful clifftop trails, secluded beaches and seaside villages.  It takes in over 3,000m of ascent as the path hugs the coast up and down the cliffs from beach to village to bay.

To be honest I hadn't envisaged doing another long one this year but following a strengthening in qualification criteria to the UTMB I needed to squeeze in an extra one to be in that ballot come January which has been my overall big target for the year.

I have had a tough time rediscovering my mojo following the SDW100 which was my big race for 2015.  I had struggled to get the mileage back up to the 50-60 mile weeks I was clocking beforehand but more of a problem was that after so much running over the last twelve months, I was felling a bit jaded by it all mentally too. 

This race was always going to be a tester, the Hardmoors get their name for good reason as I found in March and this race is a 3 point UTMB qualifier (out of a maximum 4).  So I already wasn't feeling great about my preparations.  Then, whilst out on a dreich bank holiday recce run near Staithes, I sprained my ankle proper with less than 3 weeks to go.

Ouch! - Stupid running...

I was a bit shelled to be honest.  I couldn't believe I would recover sufficiently to complete a tough race in such a short time.  I iced and rested and just kept everything crossed for a recovery quicker than my Googling suggested was likely.

By the time the race came around I had managed only a couple of runs and none without pain.  I knew I had the miles in my legs to carry me through but I also knew a roll of the ankle in the race would be an instant DNF and could set me back months.

I avoided the physio (I felt I knew what the advice would be) and decided to just give it a go.  After all, there was no way I was going to trouble the scorers, but any finish within cutoff would keep the UTMB hopes alive.

Anyway enough of the excuses what about the race!

The traditional pre race selfie.
Yes we looked this tired BEFORE the race!

I had a new race crew on hand (thanks Mum and Dad) after giving Bobby and Rach a break from traipsing around after me doing lunatic runs.  We were up early to drive to Guisborough Sea Cadets for the start and after kit check and briefing we were soon heading off to the first climb up to High Cliff Nab on the North York Moors.

A cool start at Guisborough - Photo credit Ann Brown

After less than a mile, the route traversed a cambered open field and the inevitable ankle roll happened although way sooner than anticipated .  The pain was excruciating and I wondered if I was going to be the earliest DNF in the history of ultra running.  I pressed on gingerly initially just to avoid embarrassment but was glad I did as the pain eventually faded.

I realised that the mental challenge of this race was going to be as hard as the physical.  I had to concentrate so hard on keeping my cadence high to reduce the force through the ankle and be so careful to plant my foot on as flat a surface as possible ever single step.  This was going to be tough over such a mix of terrain all day and into the night.

Why so serious at Skinningrove? - Photo credit Ann Brown

We arrived in Saltburn and the heat had started to build, I looked forward to getting up on the cliff tops to drink in the views on what was now a truly stunning day.  Once we had climbed up onto the cliffs, the next few hours were about making progress towards Runswick Bay where my first drop bag awaited at 21 miles.  Mum and Dad managed to catch up with me a couple of times along the way with loads of goodies on hand.

A rare smile!

Progress was steady due to being so careful.  I wish I had spent more time appreciating the stunning scenery but I was too busy watching my feet.  I am not sure what the words are for someone with a fear of rabbit holes or particularly tufty patches of grass but they were terrifying and I had it. Tuftygrassaphobia perhaps..? 

The pretty fishing village of Staithes came and went in what seemed like a flash, then onto the spectacular beach at Runswick bay where we tackled just a fraction of the thousands of steep steps up and down the cliffs we would need to climb..

On the way to Staithes - Photo credit Kim Kiddle

The next major landmark was Whitby and the 199 steps up to the Abbey.  In his race briefing Jon Steele (the race director) had a chuckle at the thought of 200 ultra runners 'swimming' through the hordes of tourists Whitby attracts on a warm day and he wasn't wrong!  Lots of strange looks, comments and surprised encouragement from the bemused fish and chip munchers as we weaved through towards the abbey.  The steps were finally conquered (well after a fashion, I had run 30 miles by then) and I resisted the temptation to stop for an ice cream at the top.

I had started to experience some nice cramping as a combination of the heat of the day, and my lack of recent training started to catch up with me. I never really managed to shift the cramp for the remainder of the race and stopping to stretch the calves slowed things even more.  The constant ups and downs of hills and steps showed no mercy and after a receiving a lovely welcome from the enthusiastic crew at the aid station, the punishment was quickly resumed on the steep descent into Robin Hoods Bay.

The next section was a long steady climb up to Ravenscar where Mum and Dad would be waiting. They had already located my dropbag and Dad helped me stretch my calves yet again and fetched a sugary tea whilst I smashed some rice pudding. By now I was tired but my resolve to finish was growing with 41 hard miles in the bag. My body ached but the ankle was showing no signs of worsening so I pressed on.

The route between Ravenscar to Scarborough was for me the most enjoyable running of the day. The worst of the heat had subsided and I knew the route from walking it with Bobby earlier in the summer. Good progress was made considering how knackered I was feeling.

Mum and Dad met me at each end of the long promenade in Scarborough which was great as I was seriously in need of a lift by now.  Mum and I ran the 50 yards into the last aid station hand in hand where I sat down, regrouped and fuelled up on watermelon and Jaffa Cakes.  It was time to put on my headtorch for the last push to Filey as the sun had now set. The tide was in now and waves were crashing over the walls in the last of the light.

With Dad's instructions to 'get back on my toes' ringing in my ears I reluctantly left the relative comfort of the station and headed off into the night.  I soon caught a few other runners which was handy as I was worried about getting lost in the dark.  Even when I passed someone I always ensured I was in sight of a twinkling headtorch. Fortunately it was a clear night with good light from the stars, still taking care with every step, I heard a tawny owl hooting some encouragement from somewhere close by.

There was no let up from the torture of the steps even down to the last mile. It was a relief to emerge into the streetlights of Filey now after 10 pm and Dad was waiting for me there.  We ran the last few hundred yards together which was a really nice moment as he and Mum had been with me all the way on what had now been a really long day.

Only finishers get a shirt - Wear with pride!

It was a tough race in attritional conditions.  Well done to the Hardmoors team and all of the volunteers who put on another fantastic event.  Respect to everyone who stepped up to the start line and gave it their best whether you made it or not..

It was probably not my wisest move to attempt this run with the injury but in the end I was lucky and came away largely unscathed (save for the standard grumbling legs).  I have to be satisfied with finishing in the first 50 out of  almost 200 starters given I didn't think I had a chance of  making the start line only a fortnight ago.

The course, injuries and the heat took their toll on the 30 or so who didn't make it to the finish. Not the case apparently for winner Martin Murray who finished in an impressive 10.03.  The headlines will however be stolen by one runner who found time to rescue a drowning child at Sandsend en route to his finish. Hats off to you Sir!

So that's it, I'm going to take a break from the long stuff after 3 tough ultras in the last 6 months.  I have earned the right to tow the start line at two of the mightiest trail races in the world by qualifying for the UTMB and the Western States this year and for that I am thankful.  As it will be my first entry into the ballot, the chances are slim but thats fine, its been an epic 14 months of ultra running adventures to get here no matter what.  As you would expect I already have a Plan B for 2016 which is just as exciting, looking forward to seeing what it brings!

Thanks to Mum and Dad for the support on this race, you did way more than I could have asked for. Thanks also to everyone who has supported me in any way along the last year or so with my running. I am so lucky to have such supportive colleagues, friends and family and without you I am sure I would never have made it.

Looking forward to adding to my trail running cv in 2016, watch this space!