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. 

Lads Leap AS English Fell Champs 2024

 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.

Flower Scar- English Champs AM 2024

 Well, it's been a while since I lined up on an English champs start line. Yes, there is a reason, no, it is not necessarily of my own volition. There is some small chance of a team placing in the MV40 throughout the year, and so I am very much doing my part in that. This is not to say that race shape is anywhere near, though that will probably become a little more clear in a moment. 

Chris and I recced the route, up by Todmoden, a couple of months ago. It looked to be a pretty fierce little race with some spicey uphills and some very slippy slidy downhills. As is ever the case with A Medium events, the pace was going to be high, and thus some speed training was going to be in order. 

Let's just say that didn't exactly happen for one reason or another. Essentially, whenever I tried to pick up the tempo in training, something didn't quite work. Tendonitis happened, various other things occured, with the upshot being that any semblence of running form and consistency that had been built up over the winter just kind of faded away into the past. Not good. Especially when 3 weeks ago the tendinitis flared, and 7 days ago a calf just decided that it wasn't going to play ball and I limped home after not even 3k of what was going to be a bit of a decent bash around the old stomping ground of the IOW. 

Halfway through the week, I still hadn't run and was a little unsure if the race was even going to happen for me. Rest- complete rest, seemed to be the only correct option. A short (5 mins) on a treadmill on Thursday showed that there was still some level of ability beyond just walking (even if only for 800m) and so it was that Stefan picked me up absurdly early on Saturday.

It was beautifully clear, and we got a parking space very close to race registration due to being 3 hours early, and then sloped off into Tod for a coffee. A very pleasant way to start the morning. Time passed and eventually we got ready for the mudfest to come. 

The initial climb is almost single track- it's kind of slightly wider than that with a small amount of opportunity for overtaking, but the ground is very very churned up and slippy, so you need a lot of energy to get past people. In order to spread us out before that, there was a thunderous lap around the field in what was basically XC conditions. It was very evident that a lot of people have been doing XC over the winter and have come into the season in very good form. Me? Not so much. I appear to have regressed to a single speed where anything above that results in a serious rev limiter that just brings me down again. 

To be honest, today I wasn't too worried about that. What with the recent calf troubles, the main aim of the day was to get around without anything falling off or breaking, so I trundled around the field- spattered with mud before even getting onto anything resembling a hill, and then- the first up of the day. 

If you've read ANY of my race stuff previously in the last decade or so, you'll notice a theme. "I must get better at up hills". It would seem that speed on an incline is not really a strength of mine... and so it proves everytime I line up for a race. Up through the mud of the first hill I was there or thereabouts, but as soon as it became runnable, a number of runners went past. I gained a few on the next section around the double track and then lost a few on the subsequent up. 

Across the stubby grassland I was able to settle into a bit more of a running rhythm, and then down over and across to the climb to Flower Scar, I was astonished to find myself just behing Nic Barber. Ah well, I guess we're both getting old(?!) or slow... or, whatever... A slow climb and a dib at the top, and then down to check 2- a decently runnable section where in previous years I'd have been going hell for leather. Not today thanks, I need my legs for later. 

Through the mud at CP2, and a long semi-runnable climb back up towards the turbines and the access road. This one the one time in the race that I felt pretty decent. Rough, chossy ground on a runnable incline that everyone else seemed to hate. My heartrate stayed at a copable level and I gained time on a few people. Then, hitting the top, onto the access road, hard ground... boom. Off they all went again. It seems that flat, hard roads are not my thing either. Damn it. Across and over to the turbine and then a fantastic semi-downhill section through horrendous chossy bog and mud. Glorious- I took back the time just lost on the road, and came out of that section ahead of the group that I had entered it behind. Dibbed at check 3, and then... downhill on hard ground. Off they all went again. 

It was a long enough section to be annoying before it dropped to the right into a veritable obstacle course of general detritus- I jumped over a ladder at one point (on it's side... c'mon, I'm not that tall), someone else got spiked by something. It was old workings of some kind- then a run around a pretty slippy quarry type section and then CP4 and into the trees. 

Slop. Just lots of slop- as you can imagine. Managed to hold my own as it was generally pretty grim hard work through it, and then out onto solid road again. Although it was downhill, my legs were starting to remind me that I really haven't run this hard for this amount of time in *quite* some time and are not really all that happy with me. On the up side, neither of my calves were giving me any gyp. 

Down the hard pack, trying not to get tripped up by any of the general debris and potholes down it, over a stile and hard right to slide down a bank, over a stream, and then a hard steep slope to get to CP5 and a short road section- where my legs, again, were very much saying... really? Is this what we're doing now? Because we're pretty tired, to be honest....

Up into another quarryworks, and a steep climb to the top, along through more mud and then a slidy, muddy, fast downhill- dodgy underfoot in places, another area where I seemed to gain time on a number of people, before dibbing at the bottom and IMMEDIATELY losing all places gained as we trudged up through what can only be described as a "field", but is more accurately described as "ankle to knee deep horse churned agricultural area". Ahead, you could see a line of people going up the steep sided valley. Only 2 miles or so to go, and this was the last uphill. But knowing that if I tried to increase pace or overclock it, I'd end up at the top of the hill, totally spent with nothing left to give even on the descent- I kept within tolerances, run/walking up the hill. Didn't lose too many places, and kept those who did pass me in sight. 

Once at the top, it was a case of a short section of across the hill, and then downhill all the way. We'd done all this on the way up, so everyone knew the terrain. Muddy, squelchy, unstable underfoot, loamy through the trees and generally great with the right shoes. I let go a bit on the way down- but no where near as much as I would have done in the past and gained back a few places. There were, of course, some who came past me- but on the final really slippy bit at the bottom of the hill, I gained them back, and held onto the final sprint at the end. 

100th overall, 10th v40. I'm pretty happy with that- but even more happy that my right calf seems to be absolutely fine after last weeks worry, and the left achilles... well, it aches a bit this morning, but nothing totally out of the ordinary. 

Lovely little race. Very muddy. Basically a cross between a fell race and Cross country. 

Personally- I felt like I was stuck in third gear for the entirety of the race. Not looking forward to the AS's as they tend to need an extra EXTRA gear coz they're so short. MAYBE I might have some extra something for the AL's? I don't know, we'll see. 

Yeah- no pictures again. I must be getting camera shy in my old age. 

you can have a look at my Strava though....