Training for the 55 was going slowly. September started well with a Yorkshire three peaks run and Great North Run virtual half marathon. We then had two weeks in Dorset and my hope of getting out and running a minimum of 3 miles a day didn’t go to plan. I walked Kipper a lot doing 17 miles with Kate and 10 with Andy but only managed 4 runs.
I was pleased we’d arranged for Sasha to have Kipper 2 weekends running so we could get out and do some back to back runs. We knew the weather forecast of heavy rain for Saturday 3rd but still set the alarm for 7am, planning to drop Kipper off at 8 on our way to Saltburn. Andy sent Sasha a message she was happy to skip a day and so was the BnB.
Sunday 5th. Hardmoors Saltburn marathon training run. 27.7 miles. 6 hours 45.49 (14.39 minutes per mile), 961m of ascent (34.95m per mile).
Sunday morning we ran the Saltburn marathon from the door of our BnB. Up and onto the coast headland with a really good pace covering 9 miles in 2 hours. We were a little confused by the path up to the farm road where I’d dropped out on the 200. The route took us along the coast further but I know I’ve done this version before. The day was warm and I regretted having long sleeves on. Luckily I was in shorts.
I’m not sure when I started to feel myself slowing but we took an alternative path to get to Skelton Green to miss a bit of road and I powered on when Andy stopped to talk to 2 hikers. I knew Andy had been pulling ahead so I didn’t want to slow him further. We overshot the turn but we’re soon heading towards Guisborough woods. Andy suggested we miss the Tees Link path and head straight up to High Cliff Nab. We chatted to 2 Hardmoors runners. One was doing the virtual London marathon. I don’t think they knew we’d skipped a bit and I’m sure I’ve not done that version of the route.
I plodded along and each time I realised I was getting slow I’d remind myself to bounce more to get some speed. The weather stayed good for us over the moor just a couple of showers. I was pleased to finish the 27.7 miles under 7 hours.
We’d stayed at Ruths BnB before. No one else was there so she was happy for me to spend 2 hours in the bath as Andy ordered pizza and brought me wine. Square pizzas!! One was too much for me. We watched A United Kingdom in bed then Andy read more of Knifes Edge to me
Monday 5th. Hardmoors Farndale half marathon training run. 16.5 miles 4 hours 25.32 (16.03 minutes per miles), 648m of ascent (39.27m of ascent per mile). The plan was to do Hutton le Hole marathon. I hadn’t slept well and my Achilles hurt! Andy’s did as usual but loosened off with walking. Paracetamol didn’t help, I rang and booked to see Richard the physio then swapped out of my Scots and into Andy’s Altras. Instant relief! I was tired though and my suggestion of doing the 10k because of the pain switched to the half marathon because of the fatigue. Luckily we’d not reached where the full marathon peeled off so we could keep going along the road and up the track to where the marathon route re joined the half. I was slow going downhill!! As always I was anxious about falling but had no umpf!
We had rain at one point enough to put jackets on but despite the dark skies it didn’t stay long and the jackets were removed as we heated up. Mostly sunshine brightened the skies and the green and golden bracken covered hills.
We took a slight detour just before Hutton le Hole to miss out the road section and came back into the village the way we’d left. We’d actually gone wrong here on the way out thinking we’d missed a turn but we hadn’t quite got to it. Usually the route is filled with runners when we do an event but we know we knew that section as it was part of the Tabuler Hill route! I was pleased I’d run most of the hills that last 3 miles. 16.5 miles in 4.5 hours. We’d parked at the pub so stopped there for lunch as we could reclaim our parking ticket.
I’m pleased with what we’ve done and hope with more runs next weekend we’ll manage the 55 ok. I did say to Andy a couple of times he should run it with John Kynastan as I’ll not keep up with him!
Making lifes adventures - Sarah Norman 