Race 47: Thieveley Pike

A nice short race on familiar ground with plenty of climb and some fast descents. Should suit me well and after a cautious start I managed to work my way through the field pretty well. Best result of the season so far. Enough said.

The mass start around the field at Thieveley Pike

The final descent before the trail running finish

Results  41st/133  44:25
Distance: 7km/4.3 miles  Climb: 400m/1312ft

Race 46: Beefy's Nab

Second race in two days so don't expect too much. I've run around Penistone Country Park in this area plenty of times before but this event seems to have a different character - smaller, cosier and sort of local feeling. The terrain is typical Northern England (outside the Lake District) - moorland not mountain but rough, steep and beautiful.

We got there with plenty of time to spare so I had a bit of a jog round before the race. That allowed me to get away fairly quickly and I got into a good position which I honestly didn't expect to hold but I kept going quite well to the top only swapping places with only a few other runners. I couldn't make any impression on the guy in front on the descent but opened up a gap on those behind so I was safe on the path around the reservoir to the finish. I was in amongst the decent runners all the way through and got my best result of the season so far - first time in the top third. Who'd have thought!

Approaching the reservoir towards the finish

Results: 15th/46  26:46
Distance: 4.8km/3 miles  Climb: 198m/650ft

Race 45: Lantern Pike

The sprained ankle at Coniston Fair reduced my race opportunities quite significantly in the latter half of the summer so to get me back on target I have what will hopefully be the last double header weekend for the season. Saturday's race is a new one for me and a first visit of the season to Derbyshire for the Lantern Pike Race.

We badly misjudged the travel time, getting stuck at the end of the M67, so we arrived at the show field entrance just 5 minutes before the start time. A sympathetic car park volunteer, a quick change and a warm up run to the registration tent saw me arrive on the start line just as the starter said go. Driving through Glossop I had expected to be too late so I was quite prepared for a jog round at the back. As it turned out, there was quite a lot of overtaking opportunity on the tarmac at the start of the race so I quickly found myself in the middle as usual. Nothing more to report really - same sort of mixed gradient and terrain as you might expect on a run round Darwen, and same sort of distance between me and Darrener, Neil Holding.

Relieved to have made it in time and got in a half decent result

Results: 94th/196  46:30
Distance: 8km/5 miles  Climb: 320m/1050ft

Race 44: Burnsall

Another short sharp shock of a race from the BOFRA calendar and a fantastic rough moorland route. I think that of all the races I have done this year, these steep little buggers are the ones I have enjoyed most. OK so you have to go hard at it from early on and that hurts but at least you know that once you reach the top, the lung busting effort is done with. I love a steep and difficult descent like this one but I didn't gain as many places as I would have liked because I am still being careful with my ankle. No mishaps this time - just a bit of swelling - so perhaps I could have risked a bit more. Better fitness for the climb would have made a bigger impact on the result though. Outside the top half by one - again!

Results: 36th/70  20:23
Distance:  2.4km/1.5 miles  Climb: 244m/801ft.

Race 43: Bradley

For my first go at this short, fast and very runnable course, on my comeback from injury I was very happy with my top half finish here. I didn't get away from the start line very fast so as I arrived at the narrow bridge at the exit to the sports field the bottleneck was very tight so, against the advice of the organisers, I jumped the beck and overtook about half of the field in one leap. I was just ahead of the first lady at that point but she overtook towards the top of the climb. I used her as a target on the descent, getting past just before we re-entered the sports field. I fully expected her to come back at me but obviously her race was already won and she didn't bother. Still - top half and in front of the first lady - I'll take that. The ankle did swell up again but never mind. No pain at least.

Climbing away from the Leeds and Liverpool Canal
in the middle of the field from early on

Moving quicker at the same spot on the descent

Results:  31st/75  32:15
Distance: 6km/3.7 miles  Climb: 230m/755ft

Race 42: Hades Hill

Probably my last midweek race this year and a very pleasant evening it was too. I have run in this area above Whitworth on relay races before but never done this race. It is an out and back course over three moorland tops nd mostly runnable. Just behind the first lady and inside the top half is a decent result although I was beaten by a fair number of other V50's. Can do better!

Results: 38th/92  43:32
Distance: 8km/5 miles  Climb: 360m/1181ft