Old County Tops 2024

 "Sometimes it just feels like the world spins, and all we're doing it coming back to the point where we're running down to Cockley Beck". 

Chris at his most philosphical on the OCT. 

Always a favourite in the calendar as (as Im sure Ive said countless times), even if you have a bad race, you still get a stonking day out in the Lakes. This year was no different. Clear blue skies, visibility for miles, wall to wall sun- and ground that was dry in all the right places. The 2024 edition of the race was going to be a hot one. For some reason I seem to get up earlier and earlier for a pick up every year. For some reason this year I was up at 3:45am. It makes for a long day. 

As ever, Chris and I started at the front and headed off down the track with the main plan for the day being "drink a lot. Chris slows down on the uphill. Tim slows down on the downhill. We run whenever we can- but only at a shuffle pace". After last weeks debacle at Pendle, I was wearing my old Mudclaws which have never trashed my feet and have about 800km in the soles- so not the greatest grip- but comfy. And I wasn't going to do anything that was going to gas me out. Always stay on the easy side. 

A few teams overtook us on the way over Silver Howe into Grasmere, including a very strong Rob and Dave from Achille Ratti. Not to worry, we're just going to chill out and run our own race. Donnie (yen?) and - I dunno- Jet Li? were off out ahead and on their way to a stonking win, there was never any thought to try and catch them, and soon enough we were on the long climb up Great Tongue toward the climb up Dollywagon. This year we opted to do pretty much the whole climb in a straight line before cutting left right at the top (rather than the diagonal line that we sometimes take). Olly Johnson and partner joined us on the climb though they soon left us near the top. 

The rest of the climb to Helvellyn was fairly uneventful- hitting the top at around 1:48ish. It's the only split I ever retain from the OCT. Hit Helvellyn after 2 hours and you're going too slow. (hit it before 2hours and you're going too fast!) Chris had indeed taken it easy on the way up, and so I repaid the favour by taking it easy on the descent and we dropped down into CP1 with decent sets of legs that weren't trashed from excessive speed. Filled water bottles- it was already HOT and got on with getting to Wythburn. 

We must have been kind to our legs as we were able to jog a fair way up the path on Wythburne, something that doesn't normally happen. At the river crossing, more water was taken on board, and hats dipped in, over "the bog" and upward. Sometime around here we started to yo-yo with a team from scotland that would continue for the next 5 hours. Sometimes they were miles ahead, then we'd catch up, then they'd be behind- and then would forge on through again. 

We took it easy across the traverse and down to the river crossing below Stakes pass (more water taken on), and the Chris suddenly surged ahead- (We'd been doing SO well!). The comment "if you want to blow me up before Angle tarn, this is the right way to do it"- pulled him  back a little and we were able to get to the top and jog across to Angle tarn- catching up with the scots again at the checkpoint. 

MORE water and then the hike up to Esk Hause, a common place where I tend to have a pretty low spot- it's where you've done about 1500m of ascent, and where my legs tend to say "no". So the fact we were jogging up from Esk Hause and skipping across the rocks toward Scafell Pike was a pretty good thing. I have to say that I wasn't *totally* happy, and was a bit on the tired side, but food was going in well, and we were keeping well on top of hydration. 

Up to Scafell Pike, and then the descent. The visibility was SO good I kept getting confused! I had to purposefully only look at the next 20m in front of me to make sure I was on the right line as I'm so used to only seeing not a lot in the fog coming off the hill. We made short shrift of the gnarly bit and then took it easy off the rest of the hill, this was still no time to trash quads- and sank gratefully into the waters of the river at the bottom- full immersion, and full water refils- as the scottish team caught us up again- and then a delightful bimble across the bogs and over to Great Moss, where pretty much the exact same thing happened. 

On the way over and down Mosedale, they got their second wind and sped off into the distance. All well and good with us. I certainly wasn't going to chase anyone down at this stage, not with Grey Friars coming up. Down through towards Cockley Beck, a swift stop at the checkpoint for more water, and then onward and upwards. 

No-one feels good on Grey Friars. It's a beast of a climb that goes on forever. As long as you keep moving, that's all that you can do, no matter your speed. The sun bakes down, there is little breeze and you suffer. Some people cramp, others don't. We overtook one team up here, but were overtaken by a couple of others. This was the first time that I felt like I was really struggling to climb- or even move. Chris- bless him- tried to offer encouraging words (ok. Not encouraging, but not openly insulting, either). We topped out eventually, I got my wind back and we began jogging along and out to the Old man of Coniston. 

As we hit the trod we saw Donnie and Jet heading back- having already got to the peak and were now on their way off- far out in the lead. Shortly afterward Ben Abdelnoor and partner overtook us. Chris had already mentioned they were close behind- and my reply was curt. As they overtook the conversation started and ended with "I'm NOT bloody chasing them". Already at my limit- the speed we were going at could *definitely* be maintained to the end, but any increase in speed would certainly have me blowing up very soon indeed. 

So out to the Old Man we went- the scottish guys overtook again, nevermind- the sun beat down, and it wasn't until we were nearly at the peak that we saw other teams coming back the other way- not all that far ahead of us. I'd reckoned we were about 7th- so outside the prizes (top 6 get OCT mugs) and in the past we have NEVER passed anyone after the Old Man. Resigned to 7th place I bobbed on with Chris. 

Hit the top, said hi to the marshals, a gulp of water and then turned to jog back along the ridge. We jogged, and jogged, took a decent line around the top of the crag (best part of the day was jogging along and Rhys, who was out supporting called out "good line, guys!")- as we closed in on the scots who had gone over the top. 

We finally overtook them as the trod gave way to broken ground, and we continued to move well as they slowed to a walk- ahead of us were 2 other teams who we slowly closed down on the descent, passing one team at 3 shires stone, and chasing the other down at Blea tarn. Wow- job nearly done. Descent to the footpath through the fields and making good time through there, and then, right at the end- the team we passed at Blea Tarn appeared out of no-where below us on the track. I genuinely don't know what they ran along as there isn't a track on the map- and yet there they were 50 yards ahead of us with 400m metres to go. 

Not having that today, thanks very much. 

Through the gate, full on chase mode. Doesn't matter about gassing out now, because when we're done here, we're done. I think I made Chris work a bit harder than he expected that late in the day, but we got to and through the final gate first, and worked hard to bring it home in the final run in. 

5th overall, 2nd V80. just under 8 hours this year and we paced it really well. Not sure that we're going to get much faster times than that nowadays, so yeah- we finished hot, but happy. 

I reckon I drank about 6 litres of liquid in the race, 6 afterward, and I still didn't need to go to the toilet until about 9pm. So yes- some dehydration going on there.  

Thanks so much to Chris Lloyd for his sterling work over the past few years organising the OCT. I believe this may well be his last one at the helm. Of course thanks to all the marshals from Achille Ratti- your support and enthusiasm makes this one of the best days out in the fell calendar.

Pendle Cloughs Fell race. English Champs AL

 Sitting here with the map in front of me, this seems like a race that could be seen as relatively easy. Post mortem wise- I can say that it certainly was not. Despite having a good few weeks of long distance running in Scotland (where, to be honest, it was less about the running, and more about the covering of decent distances), it would seem that my *actual* running ability has been severely curtailed. The first inkling that this was not going to be a good day was sitting down prior to the race and looking over the route with Chris..."this bit is runnable, this whole section is runnable- here is a steep climb- the rest of it is runnable".... "what. Even this bit with the ridiculous contours?" "Well.... some people will run it". 

The morning was bright, clear and hot. There is not a lot of shade on Pendle. Ok- there is NO shade on Pendle. And precious little flowing water, so this was going to be a long, hot one. In hindsight, perhaps I didn't give the race enough respect- or my ability to get around it. It also didn't help that the newish shoes which had not been kind to my heels, didn't seem to be broken in very successfully either. 

The race started with the almost traditional "run around a field to break up the field" as it were, and then it went out along a flagged section through a field, into a single track section, up a road and then into a single track section ending in a Kissing Gate. So a couple of hundred runners came pretty much screeching to a halt- although in some kind of line to hang around and wait to get onto the hill. 

Once through, a "runnable" hill, some flat running and then a down to CP1, and up into hands on knees territory. I was surprised at how well I was moving on the hands on knees terrain. It certainly felt better than any of the running I'd been doing in the previous 10 minutes- and it was a surprise to gain some places. 

I went into this one thinking that I would go very circumspectly to begin with and just see how things go. 90th seems to be about standard for me at the moment- so anything around there would be a good day. 

The terrain was tussocky across the top and I caught up with Stefan just after CP2, though he pulled away from me on the drag up Ogden clough to to the trig point- where running is something you can indulge in. The huge, steep descent to CP3 should have been a joy, but my heels were both beginning to niggle. The breeze from the south was a huge relief in terms of the temperature, but it was going to become necessary to tighten my laces at some point. 

Hitting the bottom of the hill and CP3, I was within touching distance of Stefan and Chris, but on the run south, the heels were becoming unbearable, so a stop and re-tie was the only way forward. I lost a fair amount of time and places here, and took on a gel as I made my way up the hill (passing someone talking to their partner saying "I can't think of a worse way to spend your day"... and presumed she was talking about us. 

A drop to the CP4 in Deep Clough and then down toward the reservoir at the bottom. Heels feeling a little better, but certainly not great. I was drinking a little, but was very aware of just how hot it was getting, and that I didn't really have all that much water. Racing wasn't really in my mind by this point- simply finishing the race would be a good outcome. Heat exhaustion and heat stroke are not pleasant and can be pretty nasty, so I wasn't about to start going fast and put myself in any danger of that. 

The drop to CP5 in Staniscomb was fairly pleasant, but due to the location of the clough, the climb back out of it was stifling. No wind here- and incessant sun beating down. This was the place a lot of people started feeling pretty bad. Myself included.

Looking at the map now, I should have stayed a little higher on the traverse around to Deerstones- (the issues with not reccying the route)- and dropped too low, taking a route that saved me some climb, but probably cost time. Then a drop into Howcroft Brook where I took a moment to stand in the Brook and wash myself down. I should have taken my filter bottle- I'd definitely have filled it up there. 

CP6, and then a long and horrible climb in the sun across to Black hill, followed by a descent into Ogden clough where I was contemplating life choices. Not finshing the race wasn't an option- but giving up running altogether seemed like a fine idea. A group of runners passed me- including a lot of people who I expected to be in front of me- which was a surprise. However, now I was going backwards. 

CP7 was done and a long long drag to the trig where I could barely walk let alone run. 

CP8 was on the way back down, and again, a descent that I should have enjoyed, but didn't. Out of water and out of food (except emergency food, obvs). and still a distance to go yet. In the last kilometre I lost another load of places, and limped in to the finish with a massive stitch, heels feeling like they were crucifying me and- apparently looking very grey. 

Some shade, a lie down, 2 ice creams, a Sprite, a Coke ,more water, more coke and a sandwich and I was nearly feeling human. 

It was a long, hard race- not helped by the heat or lack of reccying. In the end, despite losing all those places I came in- 90th. Surprise!

Not a fun day on the hill and certainly not an easy one.