Lads Leap. An English Fell Champs AS this year, so it was in the diary.
Recently I've been trying to add some speed to my training with very little success. Everytime hill or speed work has been added I've ended up with some kind of niggle that has knocked me back a week or 3. So in the end, my training has ended up looking a lot like long and slow runs, and a whole load of cycling. (which is another story for another day, but looks like it is going to be more than necessary in the coming months).
As such lets just say that my speed preparedness for a short, sharp fell race was not what it could have been. On the day, it was also decided that there was a "no kit requirement" for the race, so the majority of the field took nothing on the hill with them, apart from what they stood up in. Coming from the viewpoint that I do, I find it pretty difficult to make that choice. Also, a race vest with minimal kit - with the best will in the world- is not going to slow me down any further than I already am- so even though it was a none requirement, I still had some kit with me.
Weather was pretty bright, but there was a brutal South- South westerly force 5-8ish on the tops which meant the outward leg was entirely into the wind.
From the off I was already not exactly at the front of the field. A sprint start from my quarter was unlikely, and so I set off in the middle of the pack. No stiles to tail us back with, due to a slightly different start to normal. I made my way steadily through some people on the way to the first climb, and held place relatively well on the climb.
The next section is still actually a little uphill through a bit of a bog- across to the stream crossing at Lads Leap, and then a section across the skyline above Millstone Buttress that was particularly exposed to the wind, and caused some people some problems.
A couple of sneaky overtakes on the sharp downhill to the stile, and then full on into the wind and across strength sapping bog along the pipeline. A lot of people were fading here... it really isn't a runners paradise- but it is a fellrunners standard around this place. I gained a few places here as well- especially as it turned downhill over the fence and into the steeps down to the quarry track, where I could just see Stevie K ahead of me as I turned for the long uphill section.
It's been about 13 years since I started fellrunning and I'm still crap at uphills. I saw stevie and the batch of runners around him disappear into the distance and a couple of people who were much stronger at hills came past me. From the top of Tintwistle Knarr it steepens, over a stile and then onward and upward across bog once more. I think I extended my lead over whoever was behind me, though those ahead of me never seemed to get closer until it really steepend up towards the end- and the windy section back across the top of Millstone.
A couple of people were passed on the tricky section just after the stream, and then it wasn't until the final downhill that I went past another 3 or so- and a final dash into the finish got me in at just under the hour in 90th place.
Muddy. Brutal in that headwind. I can't say I'm a fan of short races.
