Race 19: Rivock Edge

Another new race for me and an interesting route with a wide variety of terrain. Starting on an industrial estate, the race follows the Leeds and Liverpool Canal for a short distance before crossing fields to the first climb through woodland. The middle section covers some rougher ground and climbs to the trig point on Rivock Edge through dense forestry. After a short open section on top of the fell, there is an interesting descent through the trees before crossing more fields and re-tracing our steps along the canal tow path.

I am not a fast runner on the flat so I was pleased to be placed well inside the top half as we left the canal on the way out. I lost a few places on the climb, as per usual, but once the group ahead of me had got away I held the same position for the last two thirds of the race. The runners were so well spaced out that I couldn't catch anyone on the downhill but on the plus side, I had a big enough lead on the guy behind not to have to worry about him on the return along the canal.

Kath had positioned herself next to the canal bridge and it was lucky she did because she persuaded some narrow boat users to wait for the runners to cross before opening the bridge so they could pass. I wonder how many would have taken a dip to gain an advantage!

Not until I saw the results on-line did I realise that I had made the top half by the narrowest of margins - on the day I thought that I had missed out. This is the third consecutive race where losing just one more place would have put me outside the top half. I thought that I was unlucky to miss by a tight margin on a couple of races but actually, I have been in by less than 5 places 5 times and out by less than 5 places 3 times so far. Consistent if nothing else - consistently not very good!

Anyway, since I'm making up the rules for this challenge, I have made up another one today. I have started to calculate my position as a percentage of the field in each race and so far, on average, at 49.6% I am in the top half - only just but I am - so that'll do!

Crossing the Leeds and Liverpool Canal on the way out

Returning to the canal bridge after tackling the fell section

Results: 21st/42
Distance: 10.9km/6.8 miles  Climb: 269m/883ft

Race 18: Midgeley Moor

A good day for running despite the cold wind on top and a first go at this race for me. That seems to be the only way I can get a PB these days. I didn't run well but did just enough, perhaps helped by the route choice variants taken by some other runners - who cares! Another top half finish will do for me after picking up a couple of places in the final descent.

The start of the race, before we get in to the heathery moor top

Results: 52nd/105 (finishers)  53:59
Distance: 8km/5 miles  Climb: 381m/1250ft

Race 17: Sedbergh 3 Peaks

Normal service is resumed. This is a great little race organised mostly for pupils of Sedbergh School following a tough but grassy route to the top of Arant Haw. The view of the Howgills to the North from the top is superb and the run off down to the finish is great fun. I squeezed into the top half courtesy of a runner ahead who fell towards the end of the race allowing me to overtake the three I needed on the descent. I did stop to check he was OK and I'm sure he will have limped in without too much of a problem. I must confess to being grateful for his misfortune which was my good luck!

Arant Haw in the Centre and Winder to the right

Provisional Result: 35th/71
Distance: 3.6km/2.2 miles  Climb: 462m/1516ft

Race 16: Black Combe

Looking forward to this, my ninth running of the Black Combe Fell Race, never was my optimism more misplaced. After an easy week of training to recover from my last double race weekend I warmed up with a jog around Silecroft and felt absolutely fine. My climb to the summit wasn't fast but there's nothing unusual in that and I expected to pick up places as we headed off into the mist towards Whitecombe Head. I didn't get going properly but held my position thinking that it would come together on the two big descents. It didn't. The first descent to the stream junction was fine but the second climb of Black Combe felt like it nearly killed me. I backed off a little - not enough to make me feel better; I ate my emergency Dairy Milk - no effect; I even stopped for a break but never recovered and all the while people were streaming past as they headed up the steep grassy slope. Kath was at the cairn on the South summit and I grabbed a drink to wash down the chocolate before heading off for the finish. I regained 10 of the places I had lost on the climb but finished miles outside the top half. By far my worst result in this series and my worst time on this race by 19 minutes. 19 whole minutes - and that's compared to my previous worst! I think I need a rest and to re-think my training regime. This 50 at 50 is going to be harder than I thought if I am going to include some tough races like this one. I walked up to the post box near the farm at 10:45pm to post my Jura application form before I change my mind!

Heading in to the mist just after the summit of Black Combe

Approaching the South Summit after the second big climb

A view down Whitecombe Beck at the beginning of Kath's ascent route.
The race route descends White Combe from the left before
climbing to the Souh summit of Black Combe on the right.

Results: 142nd/182 (finishers)  1:54:21
Distance: 13km/8.1 miles  Climb: 1000m/3281ft

Race 15: Bleasedale Circle

This is a tough race and it was never going to be easy less than 24 hours after the previous night's effort. I knew from my warm up that I was too stiff to do well over the fields early on but I didn't panic and was quite happy to get to the top of Fair Snape Fell just behind Jonathan in 36th place. The run down to Parlick from here and the steep drop towards the finish from Parlick would normally be enough to let me pick up the few places I needed to get in to the top half. Unfortunately It didn't turn out that way this time - Jonathan stayed in front off Fair Snape then opened up a gap on the small climb up Parlick, which can be seen in the background on the photo. I caught him back on the steep drop, just as he was closing in on a the small group ahead but that is where the wheels came off for me. As he pushed on to the finish he made up a few places but my legs simply refused to go faster and I struggled to hold on to the position I had.

Kath walked virtually the whole route in reverse, starting from Fell Foot and dressed in fairly heavy duty waterproofs and thermals. Although the conditions were fine for running the poor lass was almost frozen solid by the time she reached the car. Just goes to show that the kit requirements for runners make sense as an absolute minimum.

Chasing Jonathan Stubbs towards the top of Fair Snape Fell

Results: 36th/63  51:06
Distance: 8km/5 miles  Climb: 381m/1250ft

Race 14: Mr Sparkle's Dark Un

After a break of nearly three weeks since my last race I expected to be feeling fresh for this, my first ever night time fell race. I have plenty of experience of training in the dark and I know the route over Darwen Moors very well but I still had to work hard to get round in a respectable position. The downhill start is hard and fast but I settled in after that and kept up a steady effort all the way round, making up just one position on the downhill section approaching the finish. Satisfied with the result but feeling more tired than I had hoped.

The start in Roddlesworth Woods.
Kath put the camera away after that because it was just
too cold to expect fingers to work the shutter button.

Results: 30th/62  43:31
Distance: 8.1km/5 miles Climb: 214m/702ft

Race 13: Long Mynd Valleys

This is the toughest race I have done for a few years so I was a little apprehensive before the start. I had been over the route mentally, using the map and a drive up on to the Long Mynd on Saturday afternoon, so I knew that there were three major climbs towards the end of the race. I set my stall out from the word go to just complete the race at a controlled pace, in the hope that I would still be feeling strong at the finish. I started slowly, held back on the runs down the valleys and didn't push too hard on the early climbs so as I arrived at the turning point at checkpoint six the feeling of tiredness was just setting in.

Most runners took a line straight up a steep valley on the third last climb but I went for the alternative route off up to the side and I think that I must have made up a number of places with that decision. Two more climbs followed and I was beginning to flag on the last big climb up Yearlet but so, it seemed, were most of the runners around me. I was pleasantly surprised by my result and it goes to prove that on a long race at least, a measured approach can pay dividends.

The weather was perfect for running - cold but clear, dry and not too windy. For walking though, it was perhaps little too cold so Kath stayed well wrapped up as she made her way up from the valley to checkpoint two, over to Yearlet and then back down. The views must have been stunning but I'm sorry to say that for much of the race I was concentrating purely on putting one foot in front of the other.

Jogging through the second checkpoint

Kath's view on the way from the second
checkpoint directly to the ninth on Yearlet

The control punch at the cairn on Yearlet

Results: 111th/231  2:34:35
Distance: 18.5km/11.5 miles  Climb: 1372m/4501ft