Hardmoors Race series

[Headless]

My recovery ha been good, as is often the case for muscles-friendly trail events. Felt a bit beaten up on Monday, but nothing outright stiff/sore. Fine on Tues, although not saying i'm good enough to recommence running as yet.

I bet you thought about it though

Similar recovery of muscles - stiff Sunday and Monday but fine on Tuesday. A gentle lunchtime road bike and four miles easy running in the evening confirms that recovery is well underway.

A separate thought. Does anyone know anything about relative ability to cope with extreme conditions? Anecdotally, I seem to suffer more than average in the heat and less than average in the cold and wet. On Saturday for instance I didn't change kit at all and wore standard full leg Skins, a base layer thermal, light waterproof top and thin gloves throughout. Apart from chilly ears before putting the hood up I didn't feel particularly cold. I had a similar feeling after the 2007 Round Rotherham when lots of others were commenting on the conditions being really foul and I had thought that they were just a bit wintery.

[runningfool]

A separate thought. Does anyone know anything about relative ability to cope with extreme conditions?

Well not exactly know but basic physics and physiology tells us that small people have a greater surface area to volume ratio than bigger people so will lose heat faster.

Whether you get cold or not is also determined by what you're wearing and fitness as you generate heat through exercise. As long as you can generate heat at a reasonable rate you can hold the hypothermia at bay.

I'll happily confess that I wasn't as fit as I would have liked pre-race and probably didn't dress appropriately. I had Skins shorts on and whilst my legs don't feel the cold, I'm sure I was losing a fair amount of heat through them.

[Headless]

Well not exactly know but basic physics and physiology tells us that small people have a greater surface area to volume ratio than bigger people so will lose heat faster.

Whether you get cold or not is also determined by what you're wearing and fitness as you generate heat through exercise. As long as you can generate heat at a reasonable rate you can hold the hypothermia at bay.

I'll happily confess that I wasn't as fit as I would have liked pre-race and probably didn't dress appropriately. I had Skins shorts on and whilst my legs don't feel the cold, I'm sure I was losing a fair amount of heat through them.

Thanks RF.

I understand the physics and have plenty of experience in how much to wear. It seems to me that, for me, how much to wear is typically less than for other people. Presumably therefore my physiology is such that I tend to generate heat more readily than others - hence on average better in cold and worse in hot conditions (where I struggle not to overheat).

What I am curious about is how much of that is down to stuff we can influence, such as fitness, and how much is inherent in our individual genetics.

[tinyman]

Well not exactly know but basic physics and physiology tells us that small people have a greater surface area to volume ratio than bigger people so will lose heat faster.

As a prime (?!) example of a small person, admittedly a chunky small person I tend to wear more kit when running than most other people around me. I also tend to keep it on longer so that when other people are peeling off layers I tend to pretty much stay in the same kit throughout the run.

I'd never thought of this in terms of the physics - I always put it down to different metabolic rates, fitness levels etc.
Interesting, thanks for the food for thought

[karen nash]

I'm fairly small at 5ft5 ish and 50kg
I do ofetn wear more than most although on short races then regret it because I do warm up once moving- but I hate being cold at the start.

On longer runs I think I have tried to make sure I do not become a liability for people. I wore leggings and my legs did feel fine.
I had a very thin thermal and vest plus OMM waterproof, hat and gloves. I did take hat off and then put it back on again after Osmotherly. Gloves nvere came off- mainly because they were so wet I couldn't. Did resort to hood up to try to keep heat in.

Was very worried about how cold I was after Lords Stone- shivering badly, head hurt, couldn't think straight or be bothered... but couldn't do anything about it as I couldn't undo the buckles on my sac- which just scared me more! Luckily at the next road I was bundled into a car and someone put me into my smitten (thin fleece) that and two cups of tea was enough for me to get going again.
I completed with no change of clothes - just the one thin fleece added to the rest. The improvement mid pm at R Topping helped as did the sheltered woods near the end.

[footlesscrow]

Really great event. Thanks to the organising team, the marshalls who were camped out in those apalling conditions and the helpers doling out hot drinks etc at Osmotherley and Kildale.

I am sure this race will become a classic/must-do event like the Fellsman

[Ronin]

Really great event. Thanks to the organising team, the marshalls who were camped out in those apalling conditions and the helpers doling out hot drinks etc at Osmotherley and Kildale.

I am sure this race will become a classic/must-do event like the Fellsman

They were great though, especially the little lad with the woman on Roseberry Topping, he must of been all of 12 (restores faith in teenagers)
Im 15 odd stone,I sleep incredibly cold, use a 3-4 season bag in summer, but generate quite a bit of heat running, more than most because of my size. I wore full tights, helly hansen thermals underneath, helly hansen base layer, goretex paclite, buff, north face liner gloves (pretty thicker than normal liners)
and aprt from feeling soaked on the top half was ok with the temp, but I spent years tabbing in these conditions in the Parachute Regiment, go out in the Highlands and Lakes in all conditions plus carried more kit then most!
Makes you think though, on the UTMB, I was advised my kit list was too much! and didnt need that or this etc, so on my first attempt ran it and when the rain came down afer 28 hours running almost came hypothermic, so just carrying a bumbag etc with min stuff is a norm and we scoff on bagchecks etc, maybe its time we looked at carrying more gear just incase!
Surely we would look more responsible, prove ourself to be tougher by carrying more weight over said distance, just a thought!

[Alan Lucker]

I have followed the discussion on clothing and heat control with interest.
My opinion on it is that heat is a wasted byproduct of exercise. This is wasted energy and on long distance runs the more heat you give off the more energy you are wasting (replacing it quick enough is not always easy). Body weight (body mass index), and in particular the ratio of body fat to lean weight, plus fitness levels will have a big say in how much heat you generate. No doubt there is genetic differences form person to person, but I think we can all improve this. Improved fitness for purpose plus lower body fat should mean fewer fluctuations in generated heat i.e. a better more efficient cooling system. In turn this should mean as long as you set off in enough kit, you shouldn’t need to mess about changing it too much, plus the added benefit of needing less food and water. That’s my (not based in science) theory anyway.

[Ronin]

Anyone thinking of running the 110?

BGR-JUNE
LAKELAND 100 -JULY
UTMB - AUGUST
HARDMOORS 110 - SEPTEMBER
Then collapse until 2011

[Drunkeneuphoria]

Anyone thinking of running the 110?

BGR-JUNE
LAKELAND 100 -JULY
UTMB - AUGUST
HARDMOORS 110 - SEPTEMBER
Then collapse until 2011

Yes, considering, though my prep will be slightly more understated :
Fellsman - May
rest TBC, maybe an unsupported Wolds Way attempt (80m) late summer