Hardmoors 55
Date: 21st March 2015
Location:: 55 miles
Assent: Total climb of 2700m plus
Navigation: Fully marked course by organisers and Cleveland way
Time Limit: 15hrs
This race is one that I have never done before and have always seen many of my running friends comments on how great this event is, so as with every year I compete in a 50 miler early on to see were I am fitness wise and to test any new kit that I will be using in my other races throughout the year.
So I went into this race having not done much planning of the course at all as I’ve been wrapped up in prep about some of my other race later on in the year, namely the Grand union Canal race and the T184 both of which are unsupported apart from water, So with this race I was going completely unsupported apart from water.
In the run up to this event I have bought a few new bit of kit and have tested them out on a few training runs and was pretty happy with them, water proof trouser and jacket and a new race pack with soft bottles (something that I have never used before)
So I headed to meet up with fellow runner Ann-Marie who offered to drive me to and from race in exchange for petrol money, this was great as I had not booked train tickets and they were very expensive.
So we headed to the Yorkshire moors and to our B&B’s as soon a way at my B&B I Sorted my kit out ready for race morning as there never seems to be enough time then and then headed in the village to buy some soya milk for breakfast and see if there was anything i could eat locally (I’m vegan), there a was hotel there with a restaurant which were very helpful and made me something off the menu which was really kind of them, so with food sorted I headed back to the B&B for and early night. I couldn’t seem to get to sleep though as the floors in the B&B were very thin and the kitchen door kept banging and there was a dripping sound ahhhhhhh. WHY ME..AHHHH, anyhow I managed to get some sleep and woke up for 5am ready for breakfast and then a quick shower.
The coach was ready to leave at 6am and took us to the start and the registration, with all the last min things done we all headed to the start line…probably a rookie error but I was way way too near the back of the of the pack ,I wish i had made my way closer to the front because the first few miles of the course were along very narrow path and it was very hard indeed to pass anyone..hey ho..it not as if its a short run this..The course it so lovely and passed through so of the most stunning scenery I have seen in races, each part is so different from the last and that makes the whole event so much more enjoyable, it is a vey hills course with over 2700m of elevation and most of it being on hard stoney ground which can be very difficult to find your footing and the same thing coming down the descents too, I have done a lot of training on steps and was very confident on these sections and came down some decent a very good speed, the one thing that upset me and my rhythm during the event was my right foot again, as with my first event last year my feet were a pain and I pretty much sorted them for 3 out of 4 of my 100 milers last year they were pain free due to me going to pro feet in Fulham and them sorting out the right insoles and shoes for me..
So I was not a happy bunny, this event however was not an A race and it was not a high priority on my racing calendar for this year, So Im happy that these errors accrued now and not in any of my next few race all of which are A races.
The other issue that came up during this event was the new race pack I had bought just over a month or so ago before.
I was not happy is as the hydration system has a huge floor in it’s design.
Well the main aim with each of the event is to complete each one and learn from it and carry that forward to the next event
Race stats
Runner: 294
placing: 164
Drops: 25