Kategorie: Community Exploits

Run’spiration: DanKeeley

Posted on by Alistaire MacGregor

Run’spiration: Dan Keeley

Everyone likes an A to B run, you get dropped off and make your way home. This summer Dan Keeley took this to epic levels. Starting at the Colosseum in Rome Dan spent 65 days running the 1250 miles home to London. You can watch the highlights from his trip in the video. It looks epic and a trip like this has got to go on everyones bucket list.

A huge congratulations to Dan from everyone at OMM for his incredible achievement and also for raising £15,000 CALM (The Campaign Against Living Miserably) and £2000 for Snow-Camp.

You can read more about Dan and the epic route he took on his blog site here.

If you have an adventure of challenge planned for 2018 let us know!

Email al@theomm.com

Dan’s pack setup was:

CLASSIC 32

Trio Map pouch

2 x GoPod

550g Classic 32 – The benchmark for pack design, simple, effective, reliable.

Used around the world for mountain marathons, extreme races, ultra’s, biking, hiking, skiing and many other activities – including ascents to the summit of Everest! The simple, effective design offering extensive mesh external carry has never been bettered and is the standard by which all others are benchmarked. Find out more….

OMM HEROES: Wendy Dodds – 42 OMM’s and counting

Posted on by Alistaire MacGregor

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WENDY DODDS – 42 OMM’s and Counting

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For the majority of competitors, completing one OMM event is a huge effort and a remarkable undertaking, for those who have endured everything that the last weekend in October has to offer, one is never enough.

If you’re one of those people that has done enough OMM events that you’re well into double figures then you might have your sights set on the OMM ‘20 Year’ and ‘30 Year’ clubs. These special clubs, recognisable by their 20 and 30 Year club jerseys, symbolise a huge achievement. There are now quite a few competitors to have achieved such a milestone and this year will be the 49th edition of the OMM and also the 43rd OMM event for Wendy Dodds…just let that sink in for a moment for the incredible accomplishment that it is.

Wendy completed her first OMM, then the KIMM, in 1972 and since then she has completed a further forty-two events, missing only two: in 1982, she was in New Zealand and in 2003 when she was en route to Namibia…I think we’ll let her off!

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Image courtesy of Ian Charters

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MOTIVATION

We asked Wendy what motivated her to enter her first OMM and what inspires her to come back each year?

W: In 1972, Val Pacey, a top orienteer, suggested we enter as no women’s team had ever done it (a women’s team started in 1971 but DNF). The start was at St Mary’s Loch in the Borders and we stopped and had a picnic lunch on day one. I took a spare pair of shoes, a toothbrush and a small towel – not my lightest pack, and I’ve never taking these items since!

I enjoy going to new areas with new navigational challenges; I’ve not won many running events, setting only a few race records over the years, so I make up for it by doing multiple events & setting ‘completion records’ instead! As the KIMM was my first mountain challenge I’ve had longer to ‘notch up’ my events.

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MEMORIES

With 42 OMM’s under her belt Wendy has completed the OMM during some of the toughest years to be seen:

W: “Memories – too many! I’ve been fortunate to have many good running partners and there have been lots of favourite years so it’s impossible to select a single one…although beating two top female (and younger) orienteers in the Elite at Rannoch was rewarding.

The one that did not go to plan: 2008 when we moved up to the Elite and arrived at the overnight camp before 3pm, only to learn that the event had been cancelled and, as a result, were not to be allowed to complete day two after having been through the worst of the weather! Of the Elite and A Classes I’ve done, they were all good, but I’m most pleased with a chasing start on day two on Arran. It must have been going well as we were less than an hour behind the leading men in A Class on day one.

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Image courtesy of Stephen Wilson www.granddayoutphotography.co.uk

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ADVICE

Wendy particularly enjoys the long distance fell races and being in the mountains. She also recently completed the Ultra Tour of Monte Rosa as part of a three-day race and with 42 OMM events under her belt she has more experience than most.

When asked what advice she would pass on to those starting their first OMM:

The most important thing is to select your running partner carefully. It is far more important that you get on with your partner and are psychologically suited than being physically similar. For this reason I would advise against finding a last minute partner unless you know them well enough to be sure they can look after you when you’re cold/tired/hungry. You have to be sure that you can do the same for them whilst also being at close quarters in a one-person tent.

More often than not, I have competed with far more able folk than myself and been carried along. Ideally you should go for some long runs together and practice your navigation together. It’s important to have a ‘game plan’ for how you share the route planning and navigation and kit needs to be a balance of light, warm and comfortable equipment, agreeing with your partner what you are taking. Good communication on the hill is important and it is important to keep checking your location in bad weather. When you get to the start, set off slowly so you get used to the map and navigation and above all enjoy the weekend!

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Thanks to Wendy for taking the time to talk to us, she certainly is an inspiring lady and has an incredible wealth of knowledge about the OMM. We look forward to catching up with her again at the Friday night pasta party in Glentrool.

See you all in October.

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TEAM SPOTLIGHT: SCANDINAVIANS LOOKING FOR ELITE CLASS WIN

Posted on by Alistaire MacGregor

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SCANDINAVIANS LOOKING FOR OMM 2016 ELITE CLASS WIN

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The OMM ELITE CLASS‘ reputation attracts athletes from many disciplines and from all over the world. So far this year 15 countries are represented across the 8 Classes. The Scandinavian countries have a strong record of wins in the OMM ELITE CLASS here are 3 teams looking to add this years OMM trophy to their record:

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NAME: Daniel Hansson & Lelle Moberg
TEAM: Swedish Armed Forces
BASED: Sweden

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Daniel and Lelle are the current course record holders for the famous ÖtillÖ race in Sweden (10km swim + 65km run). Daniel last competed on the OMM in 2007 with previous OMM winner Björn Rydvall and finished 4th in the ELITE Class. Speaking to Daniel he said „Last time we put up the tent at a bad place. During the night it started raining and we woke up sleeping in a water stream..“ This year they are hoping to improve on their 4th place. Let’s hope their swim skills won’t be called upon.

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TOP 3 RESULTS

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DANIEL HANSSON:

  • 1st Swimrun world champion 2014 and course record holder

  • 1st Swimrun ÖtillÖ WS Engadin 1st 2016

  • 6th Adventure Racing World Championship 2011

LELLE MOBERG:

  • 1st Swimrun world champion 2014 and course record holder

  • 3rd Norsman 5th 2013

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SPECIFIC TRAINING

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We are preparing for the Swimrun world championship (10k swim, 65k run) and we do this race (theOMM) to get good training and teambuilding.

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KIT CHOICES

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We will take the minimal amount possible whilst taking the mandatory equipment list.

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TOP TIPS

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Do your own race, focus on not making any mistakes and don’t worry about other teams. Stay focused until the finish line on day 2.

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NAME: Niels Torp Madsen & Bjørn Axelsen
TEAM: Salomon Adventure DK
BASED: Copenhagan, Denmark

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Niels and Bjørn currently race for the Salomon Adventure Racing team in Denmark they are looking to add the OMM Elite Class title to their impressive record. Speaking to them Bjørn said „We’ve heard a lot about the rain and terrain, which we love. Our strategy will be to maintain a steady pace and not make any mistakes. We have good adventure racing experience and are used to difficult conditions but we are getting in specific training for the OMM which i think will be required. We’re looking forward to Scotland and just having fun.“

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TOP 3 RESULTS

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BJØRN AXELSON:

  • 1st Nordisk Extrem Marathon, Denmark, 2013 (mountain marathon)

  • 1st 50 km orienteering, Denmark, 2013 (Denmark’s longest non-stop orienteering competition)

  • 10th Adventure Racing World Championships, Portugal, 2009

NIELS TORP MADSEN:

  • 1st Tietoenator Adventure Race, Sweden 2004 (male)

  • 1st Aarhus Coastzone Challenge, Denmark 2007 (mix)

  • 2nd Nordisk Extreme Marathon, Denmark 2016 (mix  50 km)

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SPECIFIC TRAINING

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Living in Denmark, we have to take care of getting enough mountain training. We don’t have a lot of mountains near Copenhagen but we will go to areas in Sweden to find demanding, rocky terrain.

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KIT CHOICES

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  • Pack light, depending on the weather also pack warm
  • Pack dry (using dryback)
  • Good trail running shoes (Salomon Fellcross)
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PACK SIZE / WEIGHT

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  • If weather is good, 20 L / 8 kg
  • If tough weather conditions 25 L / 10 kg
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TOP TIPS

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  • Do specific training for this competition, training on paved roads alone is not going to make you well prepared.
  • Navigation in this type of terrain can go from easy to extremely difficult in no time in case of low visibility. In that case be very careful about getting your navigation safe and combine different navigation techniques (like compass bearing, contours, significant features in the terrain etc.)
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NAME: Kenneth Kofod & Simon Rosell Holt
TEAM: Tejn IF & Køge Orienteringsklub
BASED: Strøby Egede, Denmark

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„We both live in a little town called Strøby Egede (try pronouncing that!) in Denmark. We’ve been training together the last 5 years (we live 500 meters apart). Kenneth is the motor of the team, whereas Simon will be pointing us in the (hopefully) right  direction. We’ve both run quite a few trail ultra races. We came across it through a Danish equivalent called VUMB (Winter Ultra in Mols Mountains). Have heard that it should be a great experience, and that the weather is always nice 😉

We really love the multifaceted aspect of the race – that it comes down to not only running speed, but mountain skills, orienteering and shaving your kit down to the bare essentials.“

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TOP 3 RESULTS

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KENNETH KOFOD:

  • 1st Hammer Trail 50 miles
  • 3rd Danish Trail Championship (50 miles)
  • 40th Zugspitze Ultra Trail (103 km, 5,500 m+)

SIMON ROSELL HOLT:

  • 1st Hammer Trail 50 km
  • 6th Hammer Trail 100 miles (6,600 m+)
  • 22nd Südtirol Ultra Skyrace Short (68 km, 4,200 m+)
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SPECIFIC TRAINING

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Kenneth’s weakness is the orienteering part, so that is what he’ll focus on, while keeping in good running form. Simon is running a long mountain race in the summer and will train as much as the body will let him afterwards. Our focus will be hill training and running as much as possible in terrain. Together we’ll test the equipment and our camping skills running back to back runs with some bad sleep in between 😉

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KIT CHOICES

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We’re aiming at running w/ sub 9 kg and are planning on going pretty minimalistic. It should fit in a 20 or 25 l packs.

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TOP TIPS

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Enjoy the race! Remember to look up once in a while and be grateful to be able to go running in such a fantastic place.

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NEW Ava Jacket wins OUTDOOR industry award!

Posted on by Alistaire MacGregor

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NEW Ava Jacket WINS OUTDOOR industry Award

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OMM products are created from a demand of competitors wanting the lightest equipment possible that can also cope with the harsh Scottish Mountain weather at the end of October. In 1974 the first OMM pack was born. OMMs’ philosophy of unrestricted innovation to achieve the highest performance usable product for the lowest possible weight has evolved to create an expanding range of innovative products. The varied terrain and skills required for the OMM event provides the ideal testing ground and makes OMM products ideal for all Outdoor use.

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Our new OUTDOOR award winning “Ava Jacket” is indicative of our approach to design and performance that’s required for an OMM race. Ava Jacket uses the latest eVent DVStorm fabric to give outstanding weight, durability and breathability in real life conditions. In addition, OMM have re-examined closures with unique solutions at the hem and cuff to improve comfort and performance. Even the pocket linings have been changed to use OMM’s POINTZERO fabric for a weight saving over 50% on mesh. Consumers will be pleased to hear that the Ava will be available mid September 2016! OMM says: “We are grateful to the OUTDOOR judging panel and the industry for recognising the work we have put into the Ava Jacket.”

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SEE MORE HERE

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With the 50th year anniversary of the Original Mountain Marathon race in 2017 OMM has an exciting future ahead.

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How to do a Mountain Marathon with a 14litre pack

Posted on by Alistaire MacGregor

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HOW TO DO A MOUNTAIN MARATHON WITH A 14 LITRE PACK

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Author: Sam Atkinson

Tested: Saunders Lakeland Mountain Marathon July 2016

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With the Original Mountain Marathon coming up in October, I am beginning to think about what I hope to achieve and also if there is any more kit I need (hopefully not). Well with the latest OMM Backpack the Ultra 8 being only 8 litres. It begs the question, how much capacity do I really need?

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PACK CHOICE

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With the really lightweight kit that OMM have produced I think I can do the event with just 14 litres. This may not seem revolutionary to some, but for me who used more than twice that volume last year, I am pleased and excited about this set up. When i mentioned this to Stuart Hamilton (OMM Event Director) who did point out that „my kit selections should be able look after me if i had to go static for a number of hours in an emergency.“ Very sensible advice, but i felt i could put together a very small pack that provided the protection i personally needed.

I have done over 250km in the Ultra 8 so far, and it has not disappointed. It’s a rugged and tough pack weighing only 220 grams which makes it my go to pack for long runs. Due to this I knew I wanted to use it for the OMM, but doing it with 8 Litres would be crazy so combining it with the OMM Ultra Waist Pouch is a great addition. It means I have 14 litres of capacity and because the packs are separate my back can stretch and bend as normal.

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TESTING: Saunders Mountain Marathon

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Last weekend i decided to test how well it worked as a setup on the Saunders Lakeland Mountain Marathon. I know there’s a world of difference between a Mountain Marathon in July and at the end of October but it would give me a starting point and guide for improvements.

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PACKING THE KIT

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When using this setup I found that putting the heaver items (stove) in the Waist Pouch keeps the weight low and helps with balance over rough terrain. This also rests in the small of the back and sits comfortably on the hips. The items that reduced the capacity the most were the tent and sleeping bag and well worth investing in a lighter option to reduce the pack size. I used the Mountain Raid 1.0 sleeping bag which compresses down to the size of a couple of tennis balls and was able to fit the sleeping bag, t-shirt, leggings, shorts and socks into a 3 litre dry bag in the Ultra 8. The weather forecast was changeable so i elected to keep my waterproofs to hand in the the large mesh pockets on the side of the Ultra 8 which was really useful when the heavens open. The stove I use is called the mKettle, it’s just a simple chimney design and only boils water but it’s all you need when traveling lightweight. Here’s the full list of kit i used.

MY KIT LIST FOR THE SAUNDERS:

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RESULTS

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Overall this kind of setup worked well and is a good alternative to the normal pack. It gave me a lot of flexibility and freedom of movement when running additionally the easy access to the pockets on the Waist Pouch was very useful in the conditions. The pack weighed 5kg exactly and that is with me carrying both the tent and stove. The Ultra 8 weighed 3.4kg and the Ultra Waist Pouch was 1.6kg. Looking ahead to the OMM in October if we were to split the tent and stove up i would be able to get an extra layer that would be needed for the harsher conditions. Overall i think this setup is an interesting option and the freedom it provides when running makes it worth investigating further.

Thanks for reading

Sam Atkinson

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WIN!! 5x Pairs of GoPods – RESULTS

Posted on by Alistaire MacGregor

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WIN!! 5x Pairs of GoPods for your team

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This week we ran a competition to win one of 5 pairs of GoPods for your team. Every team that entered the OMM event before the 7th July was entered in the draw and the 5 winning teams were chosen at random by the lovely Debbie and Linda in the OMM office.

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IMPORTANT DATES:

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OMM 2016 LOCATION RELEASE – 25th JULY

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ENTRY FEE INCREASE – 2nd AUGUST

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GOPOD WINNERS:

Chris Smart – Long Score
Katy Rehal – C Course
Tim Pitcher – Elite
Emma Watts – C Course
Paul Bridge – Medium Score

All winners have been notified and will be able to collect their prizes at the OMM event.

Thanks to everyone, please keep checking your emails and social media feeds for updates and we look forward to seeing you all in October.

Team OMM

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BBC Adventure Show to cover: OMM 2016

Posted on by Alistaire MacGregor

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BBC ADVENTURE SHOW EPISODE TO FEATURE OMM 2016

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WATCH THE PREVIEW HERE

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The Adventure show, now in it’s 12th year covers Adventure races and sports from Scotland and the rest of the World. Each 1 hour long episode features showcases the competitors and challenge of competing in the event. This year we are pleased to announce The Adventure Show will be covering OMM 2016 for one of it’s episodes.

We’re looking forward to having the team from the Adventure Show come and compete in the event along side the main field of competitors. The team, mostly ex-OMM competitors are looking forward to this years event in South West of Scotland on the 29-30 October.

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The Adventure Team will be on site all weekend capturing the ELITE CLASS race and covering the stories of the competitors throughout the weekend.

OMM and the Adventure Show team are currently in the planning phase for the episode. We’ll keep you updated as things develop and as we get closer to October.

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OMM 2016 UPDATE: Hill final course analysis

Posted on by Alistaire MacGregor

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COURSE PLANNING UPDATE

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Last month the OMM hill team went to the 2016 event location in South West Scotland for the week to make final adjustments to the courses for this year. Race Controller, Dave Chapman and Course Planner, Ian Turner lead a team of 10 volunteers who have the enviable task of spending four separate weeks in the hills planning checkpoint locations and assessing route options.

As you are all aware the maps for the OMM are custom made by HARVEY MAPS based on the instructions given to them by Dave and his team. One of the tasks during the planning phase is to check the accuracy of the pre-existing maps and make any necessary adjustments.

Speaking to the hill team, „This year there are will be 120 checkpoints across the 400km2 course area. From initial sighting of a location each checkpoint will be assessed for route options, visibility and how it fits into the course has a whole. This process takes many months and is crucial to ensuring the quality of the courses. After a checkpoint location has been decided each checkpoint will be visited 4 times on 4 separate occasions by 4 different individuals to check the accuracy of each placement.“ We’re all still very jealous he gets to spend so much time on the hills regardless of how difficult a task it sounds.

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LOCAL COMMUNITY SUPPORT

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We pride ourselves on how we work with the local community, having been in regular meetings with those involved and who are looking forward to the event arriving in October. We’re currently preparing a list of local places to stay which will be available shortly.

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The community is a huge part of of the OMM ethos. We’ve been talking with the land owners and community members for this years‘ event since last March 2015 and very grateful for the support they have given to this years event. A special mention goes out to the Forestry Commission who were delighted to hear the OMM is back and have been incredibly helpful in the planning of this years event.

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WHAT’S NEXT..

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The courses have are now finalised, signed off, and the plans for a very typically OMM style event centre are being worked on as we speak. We hope your training is going well and we’ll have an exciting announcement for you next week.

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5 tips for training in the city

Posted on by Alistaire MacGregor
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5 tips for training in the city

by Georgia Tindley

After graduating from university last Summer I moved from Edinburgh to London. I worried about how I would settle into this bustling city and, of course, how this would affect my training. In the past year I have learnt a lot about adapting to training in a big city, and how to keep this relevant to running in the hills.

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1. SPEEDWORK IS THE KEY

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Use your time in the city to learn to run fast on the flat. This may be a style of running that you would never use in a long distance mountain race, but it brings huge benefits. Interval and Fartlek sessions are great for building fitness that will boost your endurance and speed in any race. Getting your body accustomed to running flat and fast will also help you in tricky transition stages in a race; finding your normal stride when you finally reach the flat after a long ascent will be much easier if you’re used to running this way.

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2. Run early

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London, and most big cities, are famed for their constant business. Running early in the morning is the best way to avoid the hustle and bustle, and maximise the enjoyability of your run. This is especially true come Summer when tourists flood the city and air pollution can reach dangerous levels later in the day. The streets are quieter, the air is clearer, and you’ll feel amazingly smug for the rest of the day.

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3. EMBRACE TWO WHEELS

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Living in central London finding hills to train on can be difficult. The famed ‘hill’ of Richmond Park can be ascended in no time! Instead I switch to cycling to build the necessary muscles for hill climbing. The motion cycling induces and the muscles it uses are very similar to that of taking lots of little steps up a hill. When I have time I head out for a long ride through the Surrey hills, but my preferred option is a spin class where the intense atmosphere makes you work excruciatingly hard.

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4. GIVE YOURSELF A DESTINATION

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Long training runs through endless backstreets can grow tiresome very quickly. When rocks are swapped for curbs, and sheep for cars, it is easy to lose the motivation to head out for a longer training run. I find the best way to overcome this is to have an aim, and if possible a reward, for my run. My favourite way to do this is to arrange to meet a friend for food somewhere a few miles from my house; pop some money and an extra layer in your bag and use running as a mode of transport! And hope your friend will forgive your sweaty appearance…

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5. ESCAPE OFTEN

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No matter how motivated you are days will come when the hassle of navigating busy streets feels like it outweighs the benefits of running. It is because of days like this that it is important to escape the city frequently. I organise a trip outside of London at least once a fortnight, because returning to the hills keeps me excited about running. Those runs are the reasons why I train, and provide both valuable motivation and fond memories when I’m pounding the pavements come Monday.

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Atkinsons‘ prove they’re the family team to beat on the OMM LITE

Posted on by Alistaire MacGregor
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Event Report: OMM LITE Peak District

by Sam Atkinson

On the 22nd of April my dad and I were driving south on the M6, we were both exited and apprehensive of the weekend ahead. We had signed up to the OMM Lite Long score two weeks previously and with the short time frame to prepare I was anxious to how my body would hold up. The two hour journey gave us time to talk about our strategy for the event. We had learned a lot from out 2 previous OMMs in Swaledale and the Tweedsmuir Hills in 2015 and we decided to run both days and stretch our limits!

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We arrived at the campsite in Parsley Hay at 8pm with the sun setting and decided to put up the tent first and then sign in and meet the OMM team who were very inviting and friendly. We collected our maps with the checkpoints on and got our Si dippers for the event. I quickly found the great bar and got a delicious Aberdeen Angus Burger and a Fanta and relaxed in the tent where the atmosphere was amazing everyone was so friendly and happy.

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I turned in early to get as much as sleep as possible to be ready for the 7 hour run the next day. My iPhone roused me from my comfy sleeping bag at 7am, it was a cold morning with frost on the tent and a chilly breeze that forced me to wrap up. We were scheduled to set off at 9:04 so we had a more than enough time to get ready. For the event I used OMM leggings, shorts, T-shirt, contour fleece and a new pack the ultra 8, which I  was lucky enough to be given for the weekend, it’s fair to say I felt like an OMM ambassador!

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By 9am though the weather was brilliant with a temperature around 10 degrees, perfect temperature if you ask me. We collected the control sheet and took as little time as possible to circle the control points available and create a route for the day.

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After 5 minutes we were jogging off southbound down the old disused railway, the initial pace was quite fast around 5 min/km and we picked up 2 control points on the railway. For the first 2 hours we ran well picking up another two and we decided to miss checkpoint 30 which in hindsight was the wrong decision but that is what these events are about. Around 13km we ran straight past a checkpoint and had to back track, this mistake added an extra 3km to a run. I was annoyed that we had made such a big mistake early on and this lowered my morale for the next hour or so. This had a big effect on our progress on our race as our km splits were 1 minute slower on average. It seems really silly and stupid now but at the time I could not get my mind off the error. This is what I like about these events, it pushes me mentally as well as physically and hopeful next time I could deal with the situation better and focus on the race ahead. We pushed on ahead and for the next 2 hours were going uphill and our pace slowed. We climbed back up to the railway from Alsop en dale and met a local on a bench having a great day watching the event.

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Two checkpoints later we jogged into Hartington, up to this point we had only seen two other competitors, but in this village we saw a lot of racers many of whom had ice cream or other treats. I did want one but neither of us had any money so we kept moving. By this time we had covered 30km and we had both run out of the 1 litre of water we had a while back, luckily we found a river and we drank and filled up our bottles. It was shortly after I hit another a low I calculated we had another 20 plus km and this seemed impossible to me at the time. My dad as always brought me round after 30 mins or so (sorry dad :P). We eventually managed to reached the northernmost point of the day at checkpoint 33, which was a sweet 50 pointer. Two more checkpoints of cramp and muscle soreness and were back in camp with 19 minutes to spare and 50km covered for the day, my first ultra marathon!

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We got 5th on the first day – joint points with Johan and Kip, just they were quicker. I grabbed another burger and Fanta and relaxed in the tent. People were talking about their experiences from the day and many people seemed happy and enjoying a pint. I was pleased that day 1 was over and only 5 hours remained.

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Day 2 was a 8am start and the weather was not quite as good as day one, the temperature was chilly and the tent was covered by frost when I woke up at 6:30. I scoffed down my breakfast and got ready for the day ahead. The food I used for both days was nature valley bars and homemade flapjacks that have a lot of calories! We set off just after 8am and again planned the route quickly and set of southbound down the railway.

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Just like the day before we started off at a good pace around 5:30 min/km, my legs however were sluggish to get going but they begrudgingly woke up and began to feel as normal they could be after yesterdays run. Two kilometres down the railway, we took an path to the left and followed the Easterly route picking up 5 checkpoints and coming across two guys that we had spoken to the night before. From checkpoint to 5-6 we were trucking along and I was feeling great. But as soon as we reached 6 I felt empty and had a flapjack, we slowed the pace a little along river Lathkill and struggled up a demon of a climb to Over Haddon. It was at this point that we realised that our planned route was too far optimistic and we decided to miss the outermost checkpoints. By now our average min/km had dropped to 7 and I was starting to falter. The accumulated milage had really taken it out of me and a jog was all I could muster as we descended into Monyash. I was still having a great time though and I was inwardly laughing at my suffering. Just now the weather decided it was time to rain which gave us a chance to try our new waterproofs – the Phantom Hoodie, an amazing piece of kit and it was just what we needed at the time. We pushed on toward the penultimate checkpoint. I was forced into walking from cramp in my hamstrings and we kept trying to jog but our bodies were not having it. We reached the old railway line and I knew then that we were on the homestretch with 25 minutes left. My dad as always seem fine which annoyed me a bit, how can this 50 year old be fitter than me?

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We made it back to the camp with 10 minutes spare and I was happy with what we had managed to achieve. We graciously accepted the free meal which was perfect and was just what I needed, thank you to the catering staff for an amazing job. The event was tough but I like to believe that after everyone of these events I become more mentally resilient and able to deal with challenges that I come across in the future.

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We finished 4th overall just behind Johan and Kip and we managed to win the family competition, with an accumulated 87km (54miles) travelled in both days I was shattered! I would like thank the event organisers for such an amazing event and making the atmosphere so friendly and inviting. The course was very cleverly designed, it had aspects that challenged everyone and it was great to hear peoples stories in the tent.

I would definitely recommend this event to anyone at any experience level, it suits athletes of all levels and is a great chance to learn and push yourself. I cannot wait for the next one in North Yorkshire.

Thanks for reading,

Sam
www.northernrunnerblog.wordpress.com

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