Having dipped my toe in the water so to speak the last 6 months with a couple of longer runs, I thought it time to jump in the deep end and see if I could swim. Casting my eye about for something that fitted my window of opportunity I entered this last weekend and went for the unsupported category as my better half was staying home to look after the lambing. Being unsupported always makes it a bit tricky trying to cover all eventualities without carrying the kitchen sink.
It’s fair to say its been a few years since I’ve done anything big so getting my head back into the game and getting to the end were my objectives. Having walked the Cleveland Way the opposite direction a couple of years back and spent a bit of time in this area I knew what to expect. There were times though when it got a bit same same but fortunately just as it did the terrain and direction changed to keep interest and the senses stimulated.
The weather on Saturday was way better than forecast and though I can take a bit of sun I wished I’d brought a cap. In the end I didn’t get scunnered but it was a task to keep the fluids up and I was sweating like a mouse in a cat box. Fortunately it cooled a bit by evening, but it still took a while to fully rehydrate and be able to eat properly again. By half way my feet had started to develop blisters, you know they’re there but don’t want to temp fate by poking about. Apart from changing socks and applying more Vaseline I left them be and accepted it was going to be like walking on gravel for the rest of the way.
First light had me fighting the sleep demons and weaving almost drunkenly at times as I fought off the tiredness. It wasn’t until the rains came that they had a revitalising effect that I came round and woke up properly. The last leg from Osmotherley to the finish I ended up hanging out with some lads, everyone coping with their own discomfort but it helped pass the time and by the last few miles the sun had returned to welcome us in. A good day out in God’s own country.
https://www.hardmoors110.org.uk/hardmoors-110/
Matt Davis