Hardmoors Half marathon 17/02/13

Last Sunday the 17th of Feb I took part in a trail half-marathon at Osmotherly. The race was part of the Hardmoors 26.2 series.

A few days before the event the race organisers warned that weather could make things difficult and that participants must be prepared. On the day the Weather couldn't have been better, temperatures were cool but mild, the wind had dropped and the sun was shining.

The course was superb, this was the first trail half I have entered and I was treated to some of the most beautiful scenery.

In order to appreciate these outstanding views the course included some serious climbs but each climb gave ample reward.

The trail included everything from fire-road to singletrack. The conditions were variable providing ample challenge and demanding your full attention, sections included wet mud, hundreds of steep and loose stone steps and rolling hills.

I ran the race with a new colleague and friend, he was kind enough to put me up the night before and also wore a go-pro camera taking an image every 10 seconds of the race (we hope to create a video with the 1000+ images). Graham and I ran the race and finished together, I held back to make this happen and to support him, much to Graham's amusement he was placed a second ahead of me even after finishing behind me. Officially the record book says that he is a second quicker than me

Had I pushed I believe I could have gained a few places, given our finishing time, a top 3 would not have been out of the question, we finished 10 and 11th on the day and i had another gear that was unused. I race for fun and had never imagined placing at any events but who knows in the future it may be possible?

The race was impeccably organised, the course was superb, I hope to perhaps enter some of the future events in this series. Great preparation for my trail marathon next month.

 

Thanks to Graham for taking and sharing these great pics!

 

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Training for an ultra marathon…The Wall

This year I am aiming to run “The Wall” a 69 mile ultra marathon, I have my race entry confirmed:

I have entered the elite category, aiming to complete the whole thing in under 24hours. I have until June to prepare, so my daily routine is beginning to be dominated by exercise and eating. Our wonderful British weather is helping to keep things interesting, a week of running in the snow with my yaktrax has been great!

As I write this post more snow is falling and once my Friday at work is complete, I plan to spend the weekend hiking in the white stuff, more miles and more fun!

June seems an age away but I know how quickly it will arrive, so I am working hard to focus and prepare, if any experienced ultra runners have any advice it would be greatly appreciated, please leave comments…I need all the help I can get!

 

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Road ID: Wrist ID slim review

As a Christmas present in part to my wife and myself, I bought an ID band by road ID. I spend most of my free time running, biking, hiking, surfing, climbing or undertaking any number of other potentially dangerous outdoor activities.

Were I to come a cropper somewhere, I feel I owe it to my wife to have a means of getting what’s left of me back to her .

Since breaking my back in 2011 I am more conscious of the consequences when things go wrong. The accident failed to stop or even slow down my adventurous activities, they are what makes me…me, but I am now more open to having sensible measures in place to look after my well-being and give my family piece of mind.

About

• The ID band arrived quickly, even with shipping to the UK, it was beautifully packaged, presented and does exactly what it says on the tin.
• I opted for the Wrist ID slim, it has the lowest profile and it is great, in fact I forget its on my wrist. (They offer countless styles and colours)
• Weighing 0.1 of an ounce and being laser engraved, satin polished surgical stainless steel, the plate is fantastic quality.
• The wristband is a standard silicone wristband, they come in a variety of colours. The plate can also be fitted to other charity wristbands.
• I had opted to have contact numbers of next of kin engraved on mine.
• They also offer a number service, where for a small subscription fee they will keep medical info on a database, so if you are in an accident emergency services can get your history quickly.
• The stainless steel plate comes with a lifetime guarantee, it you wear it out you get a new one.

This product is cheap and so light it goes unnoticed. At worst it will give your family piece of mind and at best could save your life. I see no reason why all outdoor enthusiasts don’t have one!

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I need your help

14 peaks challenge

I have entered a draw to be part of a team who will be heading to Wales attempting to climb all of Snowdonia National Park’s 3,000ft+ peaks in five days. The challenge will also include taking in some of Snowdonia’s classic ridges walks, including the Snowdon Horseshoe. The selection process is a combination of public votes and judges decisions, please vote and help me out:

http://www.experience-tour.com/tour/fourteen-peaks-challenge/applicant/837/

All you have to do is click vote and then respond to the e-mail to prove you are human.

(The closing date for votes is 18th January 2013)

It would give me something really tremendous to feature on my blog!

Thank you for your support!!

 

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VivoBarefoot Off Road Hi Boot Review

I just don’t get along with boots.

In recent years I have had boots from Scarpa, Zamberlan and Salomon and all of them were great boots but I didn’t like to wear any of them.

I soon sold each pair.

Boots are heavy, stiff, uncomfortable, restrictive and they all felt like torture. I felt little connection to the ground I was walking, to me they all just felt clumsy. I then noticed that VivoBarefoot did a walking boot and after very positive experience with their trainers I decided to give them a go:

What they say

The Off Road Hi is a barefoot hiking boot like no other! Utilising our latest Off Road sole to provide the ultimate grip away from the pavements, you will still have a lightweight feeling and the flexibility you know and love. Added to that is a wholly waterproof shell with breathability. Suitable for: Conquering the wilderness.

Spec

- 2.5 mm Base, 4.5 mm Lugg Height

- 3.0 mm Press EVA Insole

- 303 g. With Insole

- 289 g. Without Insole

- Usage of Eco Friendly Materials

What I say

Firstly I have been using these boots for a year, they have walked hundreds of miles in all weathers and they are still my go to boot. All the other boots I tried were worn with my teeth gritted for a month or so, hoping they would bed in and some-how feel better, these on the other-hand were comfortable out of the box!

These boots have a pretty conventional look; with their high ankle support and brown leather they appear to be traditional walking boots, but their flexibility is so apparent folks have approached me wanting to know more about them.

Pros

• Light weight: these boots are  mutch lighter than conventional walking boots
• Flexibility: the sole and upper are so flexible that the foot behaves in a much more natural way, it does not feel restricted. Great for those with claustrophobic feet. The sole offers great ground feel and feedback improving balance, posture and reaction times.
• These boots offer good grip in a variety of conditions: the lugg pattern hooks up on mud but sheds it quickly and I have found these boots to cope far better with wet rock than any conventionally soled walking boots. this perhaps has a lot to do with the fact that the toes can spread and even grip surfaces through the shoe, that combined with a good choice of rubber compound for the sole.
• Durability: I have been wearing these boots for a year and they are still in great shape, regular cleaning and treatment of the leather has ensured that they will continue to serve me for a long time (if you where to wear them extensively on concrete expect the sole wear out faster)
• Eco-Friendly: I feel that the usage of Eco Friendly materials is a must and it’s great to see recycled and sustainable material being used wherever possible
• Crampons: Although their flexibility would prevent them from being used with full Crampons, I have used them with great effect wearing the Yaktrax Pro Micro crampons, I have found the combination good enough for most of the winter conditions I have faced and the two combined are much more comfortable than I expected.

Cons

• Toebox width: The toebox in these boots does not appear to be as wide as other models in the VivoBarefoot range, although this has not proved to be a problem for me, they seem a perfect match for my feet.
• Waterproofing: Although for the most part my feet have stayed dry, they have been breached on a couple of occasions. This may be due to the low Toungue Gusset. In June whilst in the lake district for a week it rained heavily every day, after about four days of this the boots seemed to have given up, others in my party wearing goretex lined leather boots stayed dry, I would say though that this was a small price to pay for the comfort they gave me and this was truly extreme weather.
• Sole coming away: I have experienced some separation between the sole and the upper where the foot bends, I have to say that ever pair of minimal shoes I have ever owned from every manufacturer has done this, it appears to be due to the nature of their flexibility, minimal construction and perhaps even the way I walk. This problem was easily remedied with some Shoe Goo, and I really don’t know how this problem could be avoided in the manufacturing process.

These boots are genuinely minimal with zero drop from heel to toe, no cushioning and an extremely flexible sole, so anyone not used to wearing minimalist footwear must cautiously increase mileage allowing their body the time to adapt. On Saturday I completed the Scarborough Rock a 24 mile hike, these boots did my proud. The conditions were muddy the mileage was high and my feet were dry and comfortable all the way round, what more could I ask For?

Scarborough Rock 05/01/13

On Saturday my wife and I took part the Scarborough Rock. It is a 24 mile hike up and down just about every hill in the Scarborough area. The route could be ran or walked and participants had to call at 11checkpoints to complete the challenge (there was also a shorter 16mile route).

 

The weather was beautiful, the terrain was undulating, and the ground was muddy. For each of the climbs we were treated to spectacular views and the organisation by the LDWA was fantastic.

 

Along the route there were aid stations with juice, tea and biscuits. Upon completion there was a pie at the village hall, followed by chocolate sponge and custard for the hungry participants.

 

This was the longest event Bex had ever done, it was hard work but we both had a wonderful day and Bex did tremendously well!

I'm really looking forward to the dog to being able to join our adventures and maybe next time Bex and I will run it

What a fantastic start to the year!

 

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2013

Happy New Year!

2012 Was a year of realisation for me. I experienced highs and lows but made real progress towards becoming a better person, I hope to continue moving on this path, so that I can help others and to achieve greater satisfaction and peace in my own life.

With that said the first new experience of 2013 will be to make some New Years resolutions. I have never made resolutions before but I like the idea of making a determination to make positive decisions. I also like the fact that through my blog I can share these determinations, further cementing my resolve to stick to the.

Five resolutions for 2013:

• Be more mindful, live in the moment: I am often guilty of hanging on to past glories and failings or obsessing over my future aspirations. I hope that this year I am able to be more mindful and present. Through meditation, yoga and studying Buddhism I have begun to see the benefits of developing a mind in the present. I hope to savour the moment, to stop comparing everything to moments past, or my ideals of how things should be. I want use mindfulness to help me find the pleasure and happiness in each moment and to help others find happiness and relief from suffering. I want to avoid the frustrations I bring on myself. I do not expect it to be the year I achieve true enlightenment and never-ending patience, but it will be a year devoted to practicing; through meditation, yoga, prayer and showing others the compassion they deserve, I hope that by having kindness in my heart and focusing on the here and now I can make the world a better place. This does not mean I will forget the past, I just won’t dwell on it and it does not mean that I won’t have ambitions, it just means that I will work to make them a reality in the moment and should a surprise scupper my plans, I will try to see the opportunities the surprise presents rather than what it spoils.
• Stepping off the consumer wagon: This year more than ever I am determined to stop buying things I don’t need. I really want to reduce my imprint on the earth and remove some of the complicated clutter from my life. From now on my intention is to purchase 2nd hand goods wherever possible, to exchange items rather than cash, to purchase as much of my food and household supply’s from small local shops as possible, to grow and forage as much food as possible and to recycle and up-cycle to meet my needs. These things not only reduce my impact on the world but they make life more interesting and fun as-well!
• A sketch a Day: I have always loved drawing and art but in recent years I have really let things slip, this saddens me. I have decided that I need to find a new way to motivate and inspire myself. In 2013 I hope to produce a sketch a day and will use the facebook page to display them. Once published this post will force me to keep my pencils sharp and help me to sharpen my rusty sketching skills. As a child I hoped to become an artist, as I grew this dream like many others died. One of my once favourite pastimes became a memory, I hope to resuscitate my creativity!
• Handmade Gifts: I have nothing but disdain for the consumer lifestyle. In my life my most treasured gifts were those made with love; the glitter covered cards from my sisters, the gorgeous if sum what monstrous birthday cakes created by my wife and the baking and meals lovingly prepared by my Mum and Nana. Every year masses of novelty gifts are carelessly bought and even more carelessly discarded. This year I will custom make every Birthday present, every gift card and every Christmas gift. I hope that this will help me to really show those I love how much I appreciate them, I hope to develop new skills and to enjoy making them as much as I hope they will enjoy receiving them. This is not a scrimping exercise, in fact I expect to spend at least as much money and will definitely have to invest more time and energy to pull this off, but it will be worth it!
• Memory Jar: I have to give credit to my wife for this one, we are going to get a large glass jar and whenever notable moments occur, we will make a note of them and pop them in the jar. Hopefully by the end of the year we will have a jar filled with memories to reflect upon and enjoy. I expect this jar to capture our laughter and tears and to help capture the little moments in life that are often forgotten, but worth remembering!

You may notice a lack of outdoor related resolutions, i have not abandoned my love of all that is outdoors, it is beyond a hobby it is part of me and as such my outdoor adventure ideas for 2013 require more than this post can deliver. So my focus here has been other lifestyle refinements.

I hope to share with you how I fair with these challenges, I will be honest and open with any indiscretions, but hopefully you can help me stay true to them. Perhaps you can inspire me to find other worthwhile resolutions to follow!

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