Race 25: Orchan Rocks

Almost exactly six months in and 25 races completed, albeit with varying degrees of success! This was a brand new race and the 11th new to me in this 50 at 50. Just to keep the numbers theme going, Kath and I did a 50 mile bike ride on the Isle of Man two days before this race and the tiredness from that and Snaefell told as I failed by two places to make the top 50%. It did, however, make my average position in races so far 50.0% and something about that looks right, even if I had hoped to be doing better by now. I have been within 5 places of dead centre 17 times out of 25 so I couldn't be more mediocre if I tried! One other notable statistic is that Kath had made it to 23 of the 25 races so far, walking out on the course with a camera to offer support to me and the other runners, and that has been great for me. Thank you Kath.

The race route is superb, being mostly on grassy paths, and the descent is exhilarating although not as steep as I had expected. The climb is all runnable but on this occasion I didn't have enough strength to push hard for all of it, which cost me the top half result in the end.

The view from above the start as the middle
runners (including me) climb out of the valley

Still working hard as we pass Kath on the way up

Moving a bit quicker now, on the way down.
The guy in black caught me near the bottom
but I had just enough left to hold him off.

Results: 28th/53  28:33
Distance: 5.4km/3.4 miles  Climb: 280m/919ft

Race 24: Snaefell

This is a tough race with a slightly unusual course in that there is a significant descent before the main climb, so knowing that I am better downhill than up, I thought that I had better go for a good start and see how long I could hold my position. I got to the checkpoint before the descent in 18th and gained one as we dropped into the valley. From there, we climbed up Clagh Ouyr and to my surprise I was still in 17th position at the top, with three men in a group a short way behind. Looking good for my best result of the season so far I dropped to the crossing of the Mountain Road and even increased the gap slightly on the last climb up Snaefell itself. I rarely get overtaken on the downhill, mainly because the fast runners have all gone by the time I reach the top but still, I was feeling confident of holding on for 17th out of 48 - if I could catch just one more then I'd be in the top third - wow!

I found the top of the main path down and set off; there were no other runners in sight but in such a small field that isn't too unusual. I was looking for the runner in 16th but couldn't see him, then over to my right, about halfway down, I saw two Manxmen from the group behind me on a different, more direct path. I did my best catch them after crossing some rough grass to get on their line but my energy was spent. Never mind. 19th - I should  be happy with that. But I'm not!

The start of the Snaefell Race with me in er... 3rd.
No, it couldn't last!

Crossing the railway on the climb of Snaefell with
North Barrule in the background and Clagh Ouyr,
already conquered, just visible on the right.

A little further up Snaefell and high above Ramsey down on the coast.

Results:  19th/48  56:09
Distance: 8km/5 miles  Climb: 550m/1804ft

Race 23: Rivington Pike

A fifth go at this race and nearly five minutes slower than my best of 12 years ago although I felt like I had run fairly well. I didn't climb quickly but as usual I went past a few when I had gravity on my side and I expected to be comfortably inside the top half. As it turned out, I was just in with one place to spare. It is beginning to look like I am doing it on purpose but honestly I really am putting everything in to the races. Simon Fox beat me again, this time by a huge 3 minute margin. He cycles a lot. I must try that.

Struggling up the last bit of climb

Looking a bit better just after the Pike

Results  177th/356  25:02
Distance: 5.2km/3.2 miles  Climb: 213m/699ft

Race 22: Boulsworth Bog

A lovely run - mostly fast and runnable, with a lot of track and some tarmac but with a fantastic moorland section in the middle. A bit too fast for me though so another near miss on the top 50%.

The runnable climb near the start of the race

Approaching Turnhole Clough towards the finish

Results   39th/76  1:08:12
Distance:13.2km/8.2 miles  Climb: 425m/1394ft

Race 21: New Dungeon Ghyll

Straight up and down Harrison Stickle from the New Dungeon Ghyll Hotel. The route follows the Dungeon Ghyll path from the start then from a checkpoint at the top of the ghyll it climbs to the right to the top of the mountain. From there it descends towards Stickle Tarn before contouring round, back to a final checkpoint on the Dungeon Ghyll path and returning from there.

The mist was quite low for the whole of the race but there is really no navigational difficulty in getting to the top. I have been up Harrison Stickle many times so I know that part quite well and the only difficulty was in climbing 2,100 feet in less than two miles, which is hard going for anybody. It didn't hurt as much as I thought it would and I was looking forward to the descent but in the event, it didn't go well. After a bit of scrambling around on the top to find the path down I found myself in a group of four going through the second last checkpoint above Stickle Tarn. We were in thick mist but the terrain round to the last is not too difficult so it should have been simple enough to follow our compasses home. Two of the group didn't bother with the maps and just followed but two of us had been map reading and leading the others all the way from the top. It seems that we lost concentration and, both taking misplaced confidence from the other, we ran just a few degrees too far left and descended towards Stickle Ghyll, losing a couple of hundred feet of height before we realised what we had done. I headed up first and we got on to the right path but we had lost some time and a few places which count for a lot in such a small field.

I was still feeling fresh and I beat the others in my group down so I don't feel too bad even though the result looks terrible. We made a navigational error but at least we realised what we had done and had the ability to get ourselves back on course. The lesson is that I need to concentrate on my own map and compass, believe what it is telling me and stick with that. If somebody else is heading off into the mist, let them go unless you are absolutely sure in your own mind that it is the right direction. Anyway, nobody to blame but myself so I should just be happy that I got up and down such a steep race and still managed to finish quite strongly. There is hope for a decent run on Jura yet.

Steep climb from the start of the race

The same section on the return. The last checkpoint
is on the knoll behind and to the right,.

Provisional Result: 29th/39
Distance: 5.6km/3.5 miles  Climb: 640m/2100ft

Race 20: Liver Hill

No photos of this race because it was a work day evening and Kath couldn't make it along. There were a lot of fellow Dashers to talk to as it was a club championship race and I did end up in a bit of a battle with Neil Duerden even though I was beaten easily by some of my old adversaries! My climbing is still a bit weak, I was still tired from the previous race and I didn't feel good on the finish field but I will say that I am just beginning to feel a bit like a runner again, after 20 races. Just a little bit of a spring coming back to the step perhaps. We'll see as the year progresses! I do like these unglamourous Lancashire races, despite the obviously less impressive courses compared to some of the races in the calendar. They have a charm all of their own.

Results: 60th/154  44:26
Distance: 7km/4.3 miles  Climb: 250m/820ft