Hoad Hill Marathon (Elevation 2500ft) - Ulverston, Lake District - 7th August 2016.
The night before....
As always the night before entailed pre run day nerves, carb loading with endless pasta meals and a total lack of sleep. This one also entailed the use of Ibuprofen, something which I usually avoid like the plague and never recommend to anyone as an alternative to rest and repair.
After doing the 24 hr Thunder Run event 2 weeks back with a sore and troublesome knee I have been carefully monitoring my knee and any residual pain within it. I have had the odd rare bit of knee pain in my right knee in recent months, but always brief and it's always gone away after 5 minutes after my knee has warmed up and loosened up.
This is fine on singular runs, but the Thunder Run weekend was 4 x 10k loops for me over the 24hr event, so it came back several times. I rested until this week and my first run at run club on Tues was OK but the soreness was there again as I started. I rested again until marathon day at Hoad Hill in the hope it would be fine.
Race morning......
Up at 5am after a half decent sleep and it was shower time, followed by clothing selection for the day. It was going to be warm with a forecast of roughly 18C and dry. This was a bonus as although the wind was forecast to be fairly gusty, having no rain at the same time meant the wind would help to cool us on the run.
I went with my PSP Association charity vest which I've been wanting to wear for ages but the weather has never allowed it thus far. I also wore my Run or Cake charity group T-shirt as a second layer for the early stages until I warm up. Shoe selection was my trusty Hoka Challenger ATR trail shoes and a pair of Injinji toe socks. A pair of Karrimor dual layer running shorts and my signature running cap and I was good to go.
Breakfast was merely a couple of slices of fruit loaf and a coffee, and I packed snacks for the journey to top me up.
My transport for the day was courtesy of fellow marathon runner Annie Mc who was obviously traveling up for the same event. So thank you to Annie for the lift.
The trip....
The trip was easy enough with sat nav and Ulverston is easy to find and quite a direct trip up from the North West and only took about an hour and 45 minutes and we were safely parked up in the on site car park at the event village before we knew it.
Pre race....
Registration was first in the registration marque pre 9am to collect our race numbers and our timing chip which strangely enough was a lanyard based one that you wore around your neck. A novel concept and one I guess helps prevent cheating with carrying extra chips for other people. Race T-shirts were also picked up pre race, so you could wear them if you wanted on the run. I stuffed mine in my kit bag and left it at the luggage store.
Time for a chat with a few people and visits to the loo if required and also time for pre run pics or selfies. It took a couple of attempts for me and Annie to do ours so we could get our Run or Cake T-shirts in and the logo visible, but I got it done eventually.....
Race start....
Race start was prompt at 9.30am and we were off out through a quiet and sleepy Ulverston Village, through some of it's quaint back streets with a few twists and turns down various gulleys and alleyways which thank fully had marshals pointing the way at each.
We were soon going down a leafy path heading towards the country and then onto a country lane. This continued on for many a mile and it became apparent at this point that there was quite a lot of road and tarmac involved at various stages of this marathon.
Down the country lanes we went and eventually we took a turn onto a luxurious grassy path, well after tarmac it felt like it anyway.
Across various fields we went with varying incline and decline and eventually popped back out on to some roads again for a fair while. Thank fully we went back onto fields again after a mile or so.
The first check point was roughly 5.9 miles along and was up on the by now rather windy hills. I was now very warm so I took off my Run or Cake T-shirt and stuffed it in my back pack.
It was also 49 minutes into the run so I decided that now was a good time for my first salted caramel GU gel and a bit of water from the aid stop to wash it down. I was there for about 3-4 minutes as I took my time and enjoyed the surrounding views, as well as watching half a dozen people run past me and now in front of me. No panic I thought, there is still 20 miles to go.
One of the guys in front of me stopped a few times to take pictures of the stunning views across Morecombe Bay and also views back towards Ulverston, so I obliged as well, as I considered I'm not losing position on the run if he is stopping at the same time.
We continued on and mostly downhill from this point down towards the coast. It became apparent that the rock hard path and downhill terrain was giving my knees a hammering, especially with wearing trail shoes which usually have almost zero cushioning. Thank fully my Hokas have a bit more than most though so they took a bit of the brunt of the impact.
We got down to the coast and then ran along a very scenic coastal path along the Bay. This was very varied terrain, including several excursions onto the pebbles of the beach and back again through various wooded bits and bushy paths. Thank fully I was currently following 3 blokes in front of me whose pace I had latched onto to make me run at a decent speed and not get lazy.
My right knee at this point started to get painful again and was a worry whether it was going to hold out, but I put it down to the fact that the previous downhill had irritated it a little and I tried to put it to the back of my mind for now.
We ran onto and across some fields again and I had a brief chat with a local runner who knew the area well who said he was trying to run a steady and settled pace and this was helped by having the odd chat along the way with others. I had noticed this when he was in front alongside the other 2 guys.
We eventually came to the check point and aid station at roughly 9-10 miles in.The guy I had been chatting too stopped briefly and then ran on, but I had spotted freshly made flapjack and decided that another 5 minutes stood there eating them and chatting with the aid station volunteers was worth it. The guys who had been behind me stopped and ran on after a brief stop, and it was a while before anyone else appeared.
Eventually a female runner appeared and I decided that it was now time to move on as the rest of the field were now clearly catching up again.
Off I went and with a sprint to try and catch the others while I had regained some strength and energy from the rest. It didn't take long to get the others back in sight as they were clearly visible on a long straight section of country lane.
At the end of the lane we were back at the coast again and the official photographer was there with his camera so it was slow down and smile for the camera time with double thumbs up to boot.
Onward we went and along a very long stretch alongside a river or canal outlet which ran alongside an industrial area, mainly GSK who were one of the main event sponsors.
Running along this straight I caught up and passed the 2 blokes who had gone past me at the aid stop earlier, and off in the distance I could see the 3rd guy who I had run alongside and chatted to briefly. He was setting quite a pace but it was good to have someone ahead to run after slowly but surely to stop me slacking off.
It was now 11-12 miles in and after taking a right turn off the main path and down a narrow path we came across the busy main road. I was duly informed by a marshal to take a left, cross the road and go through the gate on the right. OK I thought I've turned left, now how do I cross this extremely busy road ffs.
I was quite amazed by what seemed like a 'your on your own' element of this road crossing. Don't get me wrong, there were several Police officers on the opposite side of the road, but there was no instruction or indication that they were there to stop traffic and aid a safe crossing. After slowly running down the road and stopping eventually I took my chances and crossed between speeding cars.
I found the gate and the path off to the right and ran up it. Eventually I met the guy who had earlier been ahead as he was walking a bit of this path as it was getting steep. I was slightly confused by the fact that this path was going around Hoad Hill and the monument on top of it.
It had been made clear to us earlier that we only go up Hoad Hill once and we were indeed going all the way up it! Once we got to the top I was expecting someone to say "you've gone the wrong way mate!" but alas no we hadn't.
Hoad Hill was indeed the biggest climb for the people running the half, but not us, oh no, this was merely a speed bump compared to what lay ahead for us!
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| Hoad Hill......sadly not the 1000ft one we'd climb later. |
Halfway pit stop/Hoad Hill Monument.....
So we were now at the halfway check point and aid station and I was again eating the free flapjacks as well as taking my GU gels and trying my best not to get blown of my a** as it was way windy up there!
I spent 3-4 minutes there again and composed myself knowing I hadn't conquered the big hill after all especially when I knew it wasn't on the route until 19.1 miles and after a 4 mile climb. I was still convinced at this point that I would be running back up this later on.
We continue on for the second half...
So off we went back down the back of Hoad Hill and off into the unknown following yellow markers with black direction arrows as we went and I lost sight of the guys in front several times. Especially when I climbed up a step ladder over a wall that necessitated climbing down the other side looking back the way I came.
I stepped of this ladder and got a little confused as it was now woodland and I didn't see which way the other guys went. I started to run up hill alongside the wall but wasn't convinced I was right. Thankfully I glanced back and saw a yellow sign and black arrow amongst the woodland in the other direction. Climbing the ladder facing forward you could clearly see it, but as you were concentrating on your footing and looking down and going down the other side backwards you were not guaranteed to see it.
Down through the short woodland path and across another load of fields and again rarely with someone in sight ahead as the field of runners where I was was clearly spread out with several hundred metres between us so we didn't always see each other.
We came out onto another long country road section at 14 miles or so and this was the start of the long 4-5 mile climb up to the highest point of the run. I caught a glimpse of the guy ahead every now and then and slowly tried to catch up.
This road went on forever and up and down and up and down but mostly up. Regular little walks on the steepest ups was becoming the order of the day, especially when you could see the guy ahead doing it so knew you were not losing distance on them.
Eventually after running up a few of the shorter inclines on the lane I caught up with 2 of the guys who had been ahead of me for a long while and I chatted with one of them for a bit before running on as we had passed each other to and fro a couple of times.
It was now apparent where we were heading as a big hill had been looming for a fair while and the odd glimpse of a wind turbine blade in the distance meant it was likely to be the highest point. I also knew we ran past the wind farm as I had seen it on some online pictures of the route (see below pic).
After passing the previous guy and reminding each other the next check point was at 17 miles a mere half a mile on, the climb up suddenly became a little easier to deal with. despite the pain I was feeling in my right knee at this point with all the declines on a hard surface.
My hamstring and right quad were hurting as well on the climbs, I was using the hands on knees/quads technique to get up the steepest bits of climbs which was saving my energy, but also affecting my running/walking form with the altered angle but it was a pay off I was prepared to chance to get me through 26.2 miles on a hilly trail marathon.
The 17 mile check point arrived and this one had ginger cake as well as flapjacks and sweets and flat coke!! It was a trail runners picnic and yes you guessed it! I stayed for a while.
After some cake a gel and a cup of coke and watching 2 people go past me and another 3 or 4 people arriving at the check point I decided I'd better shift my a**.
It was now around the hill for a bit back on a nice bit of trail path and a chance to get some more photo's as I went as we caught sight of some more wind turbines and some great views across another bay towards Barrow etc.
As we rounded the hill we ran towards a huge quarry which apparently was the source of the winners trophies for the event as they were stone/slate based. It was a spectacular sight especially as we actually ran through some of it's huge roads, albeit bloomin steep ones and declines as well so knee and quad bashers!
I could see a tiny day glo marshal in the distance and off to the right I suddenly caught sight of the peak of the hill and a tiny trail going up it with a few tiny specks going up it, which were actually runners ahead, and no they weren't running at this point.
I got to the hill with another 2 people just ahead of me, they had both passed me at the last check point as I snacked, but thank fully I'd caught them again. We all walked up the steepest and highest bit knowing full well that this was 19 miles in and the worst bit was almost over!
We were now at the top and great views were to be had, but alas they were off down the path and I had no time to waste as I followed. Again my knees took a bashing, particularly my right and I was slightly aware I was slightly limping but it was just my body being cautious so I concentrated a bit more on a softer more balanced foot placement and it helped a lot.
Off along the hill tops we went past more and more wind turbines and blades that appeared to be rather close to the path, and then we approached a marshal with a line of red flags across the path and he pointed us straight down the hillside directly through the heather and whatever hidden tripfests awaited us as we tried to fell run blindly down the hillside.
I pretty much twisted my ankle within the first 100 metres and had to slow as I discovered there were rocks hidden under the floor covering and this was going to be a difficult descent.
The guy who had been to and fro position wise with me seemed to storm down the hill and was getting further and further ahead. I decided it was safer to follow the lady in front of me who was following the little red flags in the undergrowth down the hillside.
This allowed me to concentrate on my foot placement while she concentrated on the route ahead. I did eventually run alongside as the route flattened a little and had a brief chat as we ran, about zombie movies oddly enough, apparently me chasing her was enough to make her speed up lol.
Out off the hillside and it was back on country roads and strangely enough I'd caught sight of a guy I hadn't seen at any point on the run even with the to and fro of the runners ahead and behind me. I figured he must have slowed considerably from his initial pace and had dropped back a position.
We were now at the final check point at roughly 21 miles and it was another runners buffet, but sadly I was feeling a bit full and slightly ill from all the other stuff and gels and they were now not really going down so I decided against it.
I ran on after a brief drink and rest and caught the usual guy who kept getting ahead and I let him know that the last 5 miles is pretty much downhill from here according to the map and elevation map. We were both glad to know this I can assure you. I told him I was going to try and catch the next guy up ahead who had by now increased his pace again after seeing us behind, and off I went.
It only took another mile for me to realise that it wasn't all downhill at all, it was long ups and gradual downs and then ups again and we were walking the ups. I could see the guy ahead and kept pace with him but about 20-30 metres behind. I at this point started to get hunger pangs which for me is never good at 22-23 miles into a marathon because if I don't then eat I get dizzy, weak and have to stop or eat.
I took the gamble of taking my last GU gel early knowing it probably wouldn't stop the hunger but I didn't have time to try and eat my back up flapjack bar in my back pack as I wouldn't be able to run very well after that.
I almost gagged taking the last gel as my stomach and mind really didn't want it, but I got it down and washed it down with swigs of energy drink which I'd been carrying all the way along as a back up.
Thankfully it worked, I felt better and managed to pass the guy ahead by running up the inclines as he walked. I was also aware though that the 2 people I had previously passed were only 20 metres or so behind.
The last 2 miles and I caught sight of another runner ahead and managed to catch him on an uphill through some woodland that we both struggled to walk up. I ran behind him for at least a mile as I decided whether to pass and try and stay ahead or stay just behind and overtake toward the end and try and hold on in a sprint finish.
We came along a busy road and I realised it was the same stretch of busy road as before and we turned off through the gate again and started gradually up the base of Hoad Hill again. I was like 'come on, not again!' and started to run/walk up the path but the guy infront slowed as he had run out of energy on the climb and I caught sight of another runner another 50 metres or so ahead again walking up.
That was it for me, it was the guy I'd been talking to ages ago on the run pre mile 10 and was a local runner. I sped up as much as I could and as we went along the side of the hill it became apparent we wouldn't be running up it all again as there was only about a quarter of a mile left.
I got behind him as we approached a crowd of supporters clapping all the runners in and a marshal shouting at the guy ahead of me "don't let him catch you!" which seemed daft as I was only 10ft behind him and now speeding up.
We rounded a final corner and a nice straight bit came up as we approached the field the finish area was in, I sprinted up behind the guy and alongside him, but to be fair as I was about to pass he caught sight of his wife and child and started to stop as he decided he was going to run in with them.
So I sprinted in on my lonesome after a cheeky look over my shoulder to make sure the others were not right behind me as I hadn't looked back for ages.
Over the finish I went and rapidly offered my chip to the woman with the scanner to get the clock stopped, asking several times "did it scan?" as we all know every second counts lol.
Finished....
I finished in 4:13:56 and 19th place overall and I was extremely happy with both time and place, I felt strong on the sprint at the end and enjoyed a fast finish with a smile on my face as opposed to the sometimes pale faced about to pass out or puke face I often get on road races.
You will have to forgive me for treating this race like it was the Olympics in my run report and race breakdown, but I was aware that I was in the highest position I had ever been in a marathon, albeit a smaller one and for once felt like I was in a genuine competition, I also finished 20 mins ahead of my fastest ever trail marathon time, hence why I used the race mentality on the run to make me push and chase people instead of just taking it easy.
It was know time to wait for Annie to finish and to get some food and drink and a little rest as I waited. Coffee was first and a few Ibuprofen as things were starting to pain, especially my lower back muscles and my right knee.
Annie came in safely and in a respectable time and so did fellow runner Emma who was there with her boyfriend David waiting for her at the finish line.
I had watched the prize presentation as I waited and to my surprise found that the lady I ran with for a while was 2nd lady and won a trophy! Well done her, and thank you to saying well done to me several times.
After giving Annie a chance to get some food and drink and relaxing briefly it was time for home and some well earned rest.
Thank You.
Thank you firstly to Annie Mc for the lift and indeed the company on the day. Thank you to the event organizers, the marshals, the volunteers, the food and drink vendors, the check point and aid station crew in particular for keeping us fed and watered, and thank you to the timing people and also to the official photographer for the free pictures of the day.
Apologies if I have missed anyone, and thank you to everyone who has donated to my '3 for PSP' challenge so far this year in support of the PSP Association. There is a link below on that will take you to my fundraising page if you are feeling generous enough to donate to a very worthy cause.
Whats next?
Rest is next as my right knee is pretty shot and definitely has an issue with it so I will need to rest and cross train avoiding impact on my knee for a while. I have a 24hr endurance run for some other charities on the 3rd and 4th Sept and then it is my 3rd and final hill marathon of the challenge for PSP this year in Oct.....
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