Pathfinder Challenge 15 mi. 9 Oct 2010

I completed a 15 miler on Saturday with a new friend I met at the Tuesday evening interval run in Harrogate. Helene dragged me around the moors at a fairly fast clip, and by the end of it I was struggling to keep up. Fifteen miles seemed to be an appropriate distance the week before the Round Rotherham 50 miler, but after some fast runs and bikes during the days before, it was a few miles too far. I determined to take it very easy the rest of the week, to be well rested for Rotherham.

The run itself was mostly over the North Yorkshire Moors, and I’m sure the views would have been beautiful if it hadn’t been so foggy. I was very happy to see a well-stocked checkpoint midway through the run. I swear the table under the tent was almost sagging with the amount of home-baked goodies on offer. I probably would have gotten delayed at the checkpoint much longer sampling the wares, but Helene and her friend Cath, following us via bicycle, were itching to get moving again. The paths were pretty dry and runable, so we finished in just under 3 hours, which was fast for me and probably just a walk in the park for Helene.

John O'Gaunt's Challenge 25 mi. 25 Sep 2010

I did my marathon (well, 25 miles) yesterday in 4 hours 56 minutes. It was sunny, but cold and windy. The route went around 6 reservoirs close to my house, so it was nice to learn new trails nearby. And some not-so-nice muddy trails, through cow pastures.

I had been looking forward to John O’Gaunts for a while, not least because the start was only a few minutes from my house, granting me a longer night of sleep and an easy drive home on sore legs. I was also excited because this would be the first run where I had some knowledge of the trails and perhaps would even get around without getting lost or going wrong.

The organizers could have called this race the tale of six reservoirs, instead of naming it after the local castle. Our route passed by Fewston, Swinsty, Thruscross, Beaver Dike, Lindley Wood, and Scargill reservoirs, in no particular order, plus a fair share of streams and rivers. It was nice to revisit trails I run every Thursday with the other Reservoir Runners around Fewstson and Swinsty, but also to continue on farther north and head up to Thruscross. I had been keeping pace with a couple of other women, and by my calculations we were leading the women’s race, but at the climb up and around Thruscross they pulled ahead, and I never saw them again. I slowed to my own pace, and was quite pleased to finish in just under 5 hours.

Tatton Park Olympic Triathlon 1 mi Swim, 23 mi Bike, 6.2 mi Run 19 Sep 2010

I'll give you all a laugh at my expense for this experience. My triathlon on Sunday, was just south of Manchester at a place called Tatton Park, with a big house, lake, and grounds; not unlike the Harewood House in Leeds, which I had recently visited during a visit by my parents. But on a nice weather scale of 1 to 10, I would give the day of my Triathlon just a 2...and that's only because the winds were just "windy" and not "gale force" Then it could have sunk all the way down to a 1.

The whole weekend was nasty, cold, windy, and rainy. It had rained all night before, and my poor bike had to sit out all night in transition, poor thing.  It was soaked. I had signed up for this triathlon because I had heard that the water temperature (in a previous year) in the shallow lake had been 22 C, about 74 F. That must have been bogus, because the reported temp on the morning of the triathlon was only 13.8 C, well under 60 F. I almost didn't even start the event because of the cold water, as up in the Lake District I had swam in 16 C water, and that was COLD! But they had closed the roads out of the park to cars, so we literally couldn't leave anyway, and I decided that if 1,000 other fools were going to swim a mile in freezing water, I could too.

Well, it was cold....bone chilling. All 34 minutes of it. Many crazy people were then heading out for the bike portion (rainy, wet, cold, and windy) in just a tank top, but I put on a long sleeve shirt, vest, and glove, and never got overheated. The air temp was barely warmer than the water. In fact, my feet were numb the whole bike, as they just didn't get enough movement to get rid of the pins and needles. It rained all through the run as well, at least misty rain, and it took the first mile of running before I could feel my feet, finally. Then I started to feel good, and passed just about everyone I could see in front of me, on a grassy trail that had disintegrated into mud from the rain. I finished 40 out of 130 women, and was pleased about doing it, for not wanting to get in the water at all that morning.

But, I suppose I have been lucky this fall, 'cuz when my parents visited for two weeks, they had wonderful weather, we're talking warm, sunny, calm days that never seemed to end. My parents left, heading back to the States, joking that they couldn't believe I complained so much about the weather in the UK, because as far as they were concerned it was always calm and sunny. Hah. The day they flew out, I went for a bike ride, and the 40mph winds almost blew me off the road. Beginner's luck, that's what they got. Next time, they might end up with Tatton Park weather…nasty.

23rd Smuggler's Trod 25mi. 28 Aug 2010

The Smuggler’s Trod in Robin Hood’s Bay, was my first chance to visit the East coast of England. The drive over the North Yorkshire Moors was lovely, as the heather was in full bloom at sunrise as we arrived for the start of the race.

We had a lovely day for it, and the course wasn't too hilly, or too wet. I got around in 5 hours flat, with the requisite heather scratches on my legs and wet feet from the bogs. In a few places, the trail went through ferns that were taller than my head, and growing over the narrow path. I felt for a few minutes, as if I had been transported to the Amazon jungle. It was very dry from what it could have been, as the locals I chatted with along the course shared stories of knee-deep bog-slogging in previous years.

The final few miles were a beautiful downhill section, all the way from the tall radio tower hill heading north along the coast, then all the way down into Robin Hood’s Bay. Sadistically, it was then a very steep climb up through town to the final checkpoint. There were plenty of visitors shopping the streets, so as I was forced to walk the last section, at least I had people to watch. Amazingly enough, a couple of friends from the Reservoir Runners had finished the shorter version course much earlier, and had walked back down the hill for a drink. They cheered me on to the finish, while drinking a beer outside a pub!

I had pushed my pace all through the race, and felt very vindicated for doing so, when the skies opened just 5 minutes after I finished. I got to watch everyone finished after me coming in soaking wet, while feasting on pork pie and mashed peas in the start hall.

Lakeland Olympic Triathlon 1 mi Swim, 26 mi Bike, 6.2 mi Run 14 Aug 2010

My first Olympic race in many years, was up in the Lakes district. Although it was pouring rain when we drove out of our driveway in the morning, by the 1 p.m. start it was sunny and even slightly warm. The water wasn't, though, as the swim in the deep lake was in 61 degree water! Even with a wetsuit, the cold temps hit me fast, and my feet, hands and face felt totally numb. By the finish of the swim I wasn't sure if I would survive it, but somehow pulled myself back around to the finish, and staggered up the ramp to slowly pull off my wetsuit with numbed fingers.

The bike route was mostly sheltered from the winds by the Lake District hills, and it was a very fast, flat course. With rare sunshine hitting my face, I was back around to the second transition faster than I hoped.

Then it became apparent that the race organizers had saved the hill for the run, instead. Shortly after transition, the incline started, and continued for almost two miles. Granted, it was never very steep, but I hate running up hills, and had to walk on short sections of it. By this time in the afternoon, it was actually (dare I say it?) hot during the run, and I found myself pouring water on my head at the water station to cool off.

But, I finished under three hours for the Olympic distance, which was a personal best for me. I’m sure getting a speedier bicycle in the interim had something to do with it, but I’ll take speed where I can get it. :)

See my photos here

Leeds Xpress Sprint Triathlon 500 m Swim, 15 mi Bike, 3 mi Run 1 Aug 2010

Although I had gotten out a few times this spring to ride my bike, the weather in England isn’t exactly suited for bicycling, in my opinion. Hot, dry, windless days don’t come around very often…and I’m not spectacularly motivated to ride my bike when it’s cool and cloudy. But, I had discovered a local bike club called Wheel Easy, and had a few group rides under my belt.

Anyway, I had been thinking that I may not do any triathlons this summer, as I really wasn’t in shape for swimming or biking yet. But I had a revelation one day, and thought to myself, that if I just signed up for a triathlon, then I would be forced to get in shape for it. So, sign up I did. I found an Olympic distance in the Lake District, and then thought that maybe I should sign up for a sprint as well, just for some transition practice. The Leeds Xpress Tri seemed nice and short, close to home, and even better, the swim was in a pool. I like warm water.

On the day, the swim and bike went as well as I could expect, as I really wasn’t in shape yet. The bike roads were wide enough that the passing traffic didn’t bother me, and the hills were minor. My transitions were fast in the warm dry weather, and then I got to the run. It was on a trail around the school property, and with every uneven step, my guts started to hurt worse and worse. I guess I ate something the night before that my body violently disagreed with. It was a long slow three miles to the finish line, hunched over and trying not to breath too deep.

So I went from being somewhat in contention, to finishing 10 minutes behind the leading woman, which is a large amount in such a short race. Ah, well, there’s always next year.

12th Osmotherley Phoenix 33 mi. 3 Jul 2010

After completing just four relatively short fell races, I found myself with a strange desire to do a hundred miler.  Although I’ve completed the Death March 100km in Belgium, a hundred miles is another distance in itself, and not to be tackled lightly.  The Long Distance Walkers Association (LDWA) organizes a hundred mile every year, and the route always moves to a different part of the country.  This year it was in Scotland, and although the race was full and I wasn’t in shape, that weekend in May passed with my distinct longing to be there in some capacity.  Which led me to the realization that one must qualify to earn the right to enter the LDWA hundred by doing a 50 miler the year before.  So if I wanted to aim to do the Housman 100 in 2011, this year I would need to find a 50 mile and get ready for it quickly. 

Which is why I found myself on the 33 mile course of the Phoenix, on a clear blue day in warm temps running in just shorts and a t-shirt.  The course, which followed the Cleveland Way for almost half the total distance, made for easy navigation and beautiful views of the North Yorkshire Moors.  I had adjusted the new pack and liked the results, packed plenty of food for the long course, and come well hydrated with a mission of staying loose and relaxed this time.   I resolved to take my time, rest and eat more than normal, and had no times goals for a distance I hadn’t covered for a full two years.   I met Nick Ham by chance in the parking lot, and together we did the long walk (almost a mile?) up to the start hall.
 
Before the start of the course, I had volunteers to be a test subject for a student research project on the effects of hydration.  They were thorough, and I provide all sorts of details, a urine sample, did some simple cognition tests, and wrote down everything I had eaten the day before and the day of the race.  The race was full, and almost 500 people toed the line for the 33, 26, and 17 mile distances.  I lost sight of Nick within minutes of the start, but figured that trying to go his pace was insanity at the moment. Once on the route, I followed a whole line of people until the 17 mile course branched off and bodies became scarcer.  The route only had one tricky section through fields and some woods, and as I drew near it I didn’t have anyone around me but had route description in hand.  At the checkpoint just before, I passed the secret kit check, then was told by a volunteer that a group of women had gone through just minutes before me.  I managed to catch up with them quickly on tired legs, and told myself that if I could stay with them for the next five miles or so, then the rest of the way would be simple to do on my own.  The women welcomed a new face and their pace was manageable, so we all double checked the route through many, many stone walls and pastures, in a narrow valley lined with trees.  We even stopped for a short break while one of them tended a tender foot, a welcome break for all of us in the heat. 
 
Once at the final checkpoint, I filled up my water bottles again, waved the women off down the trail, and guzzled liquid with my feet propped up for a few minutes.  It was quite hot where the wind was blocked, and on open moorland the wind dehydrated us all much quicker than we realized.  Knowing I would have another urine test for the researchers after the run, I wasn’t worried what color it would be, but if I would have any at all to donate!   I topped up again and set off on the last 9 miles alone with a straightforward path to follow over the moors.  It was now difficult to run at all, but walking wasn’t too bad even if it was slower than running.   I finished knowing that I didn’t want to go any farther (oh, that mile back to the car, ouch!), but that if I needed to, I probably could.  Which is what I’ll be asking my legs to do in a few months on a 50…? 

Time: 8 hours 41 minutes.