UltramarathonMike

This was almost certainly my last big event for a short while, and the amount of time it has taken to post this report and the lack of recent updates here give a real indication of why. Far too much going on!

I was pleased my good friend and work shy ultra runner, Mark (aka Sharky) was coming up from the gruesome Fens for this one. As part of the preparation I cooked a stinking great curry for us and we chilled out with some vintage music on telly.

As we arrived (a little late it has to be said) we were looking lost when one of the organisers offered to ferry us the 1/2 mile to the village, we arrived as everyone was setting off. We registered and set off screaming up the hill attempting to gain some ground and catch people up. Within the first 1/2 mile I met several Beverley AC members, Danny Aldus and Nick Ham who was “fresh” from his sadly unsuccessful WS100 run the previous Saturday. I ran with, and chatted to Nick for a while having lost Mark already (the big girl).

I eventually went on feeling very strong, though now it was clear it was going to be a hot day, a very hot day in fact. The route was excellent, taking in the fine terrain of the moors, the only downside being that I found the paved parts of the Cleveland Way a real pain to run on.

As the 17 mile routes peeled off the field got thinner and I was pleased I had a well marked map in bum bag. The weather got hotter and I chatted with a few other runners. I wound my way in good time to the CP with a kit check (passed with flying colours of course!) and I took 10 minutes out to have a ‘comfort break’. After said comfort break I had seized up which caught me by surprise.

The climb out of the CP just saw me get slower and slower, eventually crawling as Nick passed me and plodded on into the distance. It was clear at this point that today could be about to go horribly wrong… I didn’t want my last day out for a while to be a painful one so I slowed down and just kept comfortable enjoying a warm day out on the trails. This was a great move and although my time was hugely disappointing my frame of mind had changed so that I wasn’t bothered one jot.

I had already taken my magic Anadin Extra when I arrived at the last checkpoint before the 26/33 mile split and seriously contemplated dropping to the 26 and enjoying a nice few mile bimble over top and back down to Osmotherley, after a 5 minute stop some fresh sun cream (in fact just some sun cream as I didn’t have any on yet!) I realised dropping the distance was a silly idea as I was essentially OK and still enjoying the day so I plodded on only to get very lost and very wet whilst falling into hidden tributaries and bogs. A look at the map and a steep climb later I was back on track and bashed out the few more miles to the Hawnby CP.

After Hawnby it was time for the climb up to Black Hambleton and the Drovers Road. This was just as I expected, a real kick in the teeth! I passed a number of people who were having an exceptionally bad time of it and plodded on (after checking they were OK of course!).

It was on the down hill to Osmotherley I really was starting to feel bad and once I had dropped down the very last climb did for me and I ended up clinging to the hand rail with the world spinning around me with every step. It turned out I was not the only person this happened too.

Once I had navigated the last few hundred metres and made it over the line I felt awful, several cups of weak tea, plenty of sugar and 5 minutes laid down saw me almost right. After 10 minutes Sharky crossed the line and we sat with Nick and chatted and recovered.

It was hot, very long and a great route. I’ll definitely be back to (hopefully) do it justice next year.

How the rest of the day went is best described by Mark:

I wont bore you with the Guinness drinking, excellent dance moves, terrible Karaoke and hysterical laughing that went on that night in Lincoln. Only to say that at 5am the next morning it wasn’t a cockerel that woke me up but a Pantomime horse! You just cant make that kind of thing up!

With a house in disarray, Megans 4th birthday today and the sproglet due in just 3 weeks things it’s fair to say things are manic and some things have alas fallen by the wayside. This ‘blog being one of them.

Still, I am not the only one. My good friend Adam, after a 10 year hiatus, has donned some trainers and hit the open road again. It’s great to see but sadly his blog is updated less than mine!

Tomorrow night I’ll be chucking a few miles in on the way home and it’s fair to say that I can’t wait. I need to get training for this years Beacon Ultra!

What a week for ultra endurance sports, after seeing the UKs finest 24 hour runners in action and over the weekend one of the ultimate extreme ultramarathons is under way in Death Valley, the Badwater Ultra. I am definatley ultra running vicariously at the moment!
The live feed is showing Sharon Gayter as 3rd Female and 16th overall, a fantastic performance, and with less than 15 miles to go it’s more than likely Sharon will be able to hang on and grab that podium position.
What makes the Badwater so bad? Well with temperatures at the start in the Death Valley basin of 120F+ (50C+) and temperatures close to the black asphalt of 200F (93C) challenges are well, numerous. Lets not even mention that it’s primarly uphill and climbs most of the way up Mt Washington, from the lowest point in the US to almost the highest point in the continuous mainland of the USA. It’s invite only too!
When I spoke to Sharon in early June she was clearly not taking the challenge lightly even though the distance/time and race profile is well within her capabilities.

The live feed is available at http://dbase.adventurecorps.com/results.php?bw_eid=49&bwr=Go

I really really don’t see the appeal of 24 hour track racing, for me running is about hitting the trails, getting out in the middle of nowhere and seeing something new, something different, and just being at one with it all. Track racing has none of that, just the same tree, bit of red track and the same tents and cars 2-300 times over but boy is it compelling and I really really really want to give it a go!

I attended the Hull track race organised by East Hull Harriers/Dave Annendale this Saturday/Sunday initially as a spectator and then as a Lap Counter.

I had come to provide tea/abuse for our very own Scottish ego maniac, Rab Lee and was pleasently suprised to see Jeremy Nottingham and a host of other runners I knew, Betheny Clague (from the Grantham Recce), Phil Howells of “Ed & Phil” whose Desert Seminar I attended at Brecon and who I have met at several races, Pete Watkinson of Beverley AC (attending his fisrt ultra and gunning for the 100) and of course Chris Carver, putting in a quick 100 before the Commenwealth Ultra Championships in September.

It was also a great suprise to see William Sichel in attendance. Sadly Chris dropped at 45.9 after he was flying along and well on track for a good 100mile time. His decision was sensible in light of September and his recent Run to London.
Pete Watkinson has been given the advice not to stop, had taken this on board and for much of the early race he was level with William Sichel in 4th place so this was holding up as good advice. Fatigue was setting in when he leaned on me to get changed but overall he was holding up very well and there was no signs of a wobble on the horizon.

Rab was enjoing the day and Jeremy was plugging away nicely smoothing out the peaks and troughs. Betheny was also doing well and eventually broke the 100 mile mark and finished in #2 position, it was clearly in her from the start but certainly took some determination to get there. Pete was the same, although he slowed down at (I think) the 70 mileish mark he didn’t stop and plugged away sailing through 100 miles and keeping going.

At around 11pm, shortly ater the relentless rain started I started lap counting. I started out pretty green and ever so slightly confused with clearly rusty arithmetic but after some guidance from Beverleys ex Lord Mayor I was eventually counting 3 runners and continued to do so until 10am.

The rain really slowed things down and many runners retired to sit it out in their tents and opt for many clothing changes, most plugged away and sat it out well. The experience of William was showing as he looked steady and confident throughout the night.

Rab show ponied the last hour with yet another costume change and some friendly sinage from Sharky kept him going. Rab, Jeremy & Phil all had lower mileages than they had expected or desired but al put in excellent performances, and Phil was putting in some of the fasted laps I counted during the night.

All in all I had great fun and managed to catch up with a whole load of people I knew - next year I am definately going to run and see what all the fuss is about, I can’t wait!

I have some photos of the event, sadly most of them that came out were from of Rab, but they can be found at http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/MikeBlamires/Hull24HourRace#.

The results will be posted on http://www.webnet.karoo.co.uk when the painstaking ratification and mistake checking has been done.

Thanks to everyone, I havd a blast.

I should really start by apologising for doing all this running and not writing any of it up. I’m still not going to write about those in depth yet though I am afraid as there is plenty to tell and I need to do it justice.

Firstly the Race Against Time was a complete success on many levels, importantly they were able to announce that the had raised £20,000 for the Meningitis Charities. An amazing weekend organised by some great folk. Craig, Monty and Brian (et al) did an amazing job of successfully organising a whole array of runners over 95 miles of the finest Scottish terrain. Gill, Craig, Holly and little Ross have been through so much and spending an afternoon playing with Holly was a real treat, she’s a little fighter! I’ll write this up soon.

Secondly this is old news now really but Jez Bragg did himself and GBR proud in the legendary Western States 100 by netting 3rd place in his inaugural run only just behind the second place runner. In a race which saw DNFs next to Scott Jurek and 11 time vet Dean Karnazes and a host of other elite experienced ultra runners. Unfortunately Nick Ham was one who dropped, he did well to get to 62 miles with the problems he had and it was good to see him and catch up at the Osmotherley Phoenix. Seeing a DNF next to your name is hard, and Nick handles it well, a leaf I should probably take from his book! Jez Bragg won the 33 mile Phoenix by the way - there is just no stopping some people!

Me, well I’m knackered and am going to spend some time resetting my training plan and get ready for the Beacon Ultra in December. With only 5 weeks till the baby is due I need to rest up and get myself feeling on par!