Cross the UK: Ultramarathon Men Part Two

Well here we are…. 10 weeks in to our 16 week training plan and we’ve clocked up around 450 miles between us! Whenever you start any kind of training plan you can allow yourself to be deluded that you will find it easy to stick to and you’ll enjoy every minute… in my experience of running and weight training both statements have been untrue but never for want of trying.  I’d like to say that I’m very resilient and having run marathon distances and walked ultra distances I know I could complete this.  For Stoney this has been a voyage into the unknown.  He’s a very fit man (physically and aesthetically) and he’s a stubborn MOFO too.  I’ve seen him push through distances that he has never ran before and he has even conquered the impossible and sported a beard! #manpoints.  If I were to sum up our running partnership in the form of music it would be the 90’s classic ‘Regulate’ as despite frustrations with our mismatched paces we’ve helped each other find a good ultra pace thereby regulating one another and for those of you wondering I’m clearly Warren G and Stoney is Nate Dogg!

Mick near Highcliffe Nab in the North York Moors

Raidlight Responsiv on trial in the North York Moors

Mick and Stones on Black Hambleton in the North York Moors

Testing my Raidlight Pack on the Hardmoors 55 route!

Stoney running on Black Hambleton in the North York Moors

During our ultra training we’ve been plagues by various different issues ranging from weather to poor decisions on nutrition to injury to … well just to life in general.  In committing to a plan we’ve shown dedication in particular to our long runs but our maintenance runs during the week have been consumed by recovery, work and family which all have to come first at different times.

Stones ultramarathon training in the North York Moors

Snowy North York Moors

Mick ultramarathon training in the North York Moors with his Raidlight Responsiv Lazerdry 18L Race Vest

Even the snow hasn’t stopped our training. 22 miles in the #northyorkmoorsnationalpark

With just over a month to go were now getting into the final stages of our our training plan where we start to build up longer back to back runs on a weekend.  The training has been pretty brutal at times but the end is now in sight.  As the Hardmoors 55 takes place along the Cleveland Way we’ve put a lot of miles in on those paths and been rewarded with some awesome scenes on the beautiful North Yorks Moors.  We’ve also experienced some of the worst weather that even hardened runners would avoid for fear of injury.

It would be a little premature to produce some pointers on ultra running without having completed an official ultra-marathon so we’ll be back with our guide to ultra running after the Hardmoors 55.  Wish us luck!