…following on from Running diary – Sept 18

Wed 3 October

A slight shift in focus. Perhaps it’s the changing season, but after a summer of short races I have an itch to give something a bit longer a go. Hence I find myself at the Nick of Pendle, to have a look at the Tour of Pendle route – a 16 mile race, with 5000ft of climbing, 6 weeks away. I haven’t done anything like this since Holme Moss in 2006. A bit different to all those 2 mile dashes….

I manage around 10 miles, including the climbs of Mearley Moor and the very-well-named Big Dipper, in around 3 hours. A promising first impression. Back home I order one of these:

Sun 7 Oct

First visit of the “winter” to Penistone Hill on the edge of Haworth, for the Withins Skyline race. Conditions pretty benign – not too cold, relatively dry underfoot. Feel strong on the first half, but pushing things a bit too hard I have a couple of tumbles, which disrupt the rhythm more than anything else. The stretch from Bronte Bridge to the end a bit of struggle, but I still get round in 21st (out of 248) in 47.36 – my best for the course.

Wed 10 Oct

To pub with fellow Valley Striders to earwig on their plans for an overseas trip next year. Probably a bit far, and expensive, for me right now, but great to know this option is theoretically available.

Thurs 11 Oct

To put the Tour of Pendle idea to bed once and for all I decide on a full recce. Leave Barley at 9.30am. Take things steady and get to the crucial Checkpoint 4 at 11.10am, ie 20 minutes within the cut-off. The climbs get progressively tougher as you go along, and the final one, up the Big End, almost a heartbreaker. But by 1.20pm it’s job done, in under 4 hours, and entry form + cheque are in the post.

Sat 13 October

Read “The Living Mountain” by Nan Shepherd – a most remarkable book. Enriching, for anyone who loves the mountains.

Mon 15 October

Splashed out on a new lightweight running jacket. The previous one finally gave up the ghost on Pendle, after a decade or more of service. We are allowed to treat ourselves, every now and then. Seemed to work OK on a 6-mile jog up the Meanwood Valley later on.

Tues 16 October

Steady run through the woods on the far side of the lake in Roundhay Park, up to Shadwell and back down “The Gorge”. About 8 miles or so.

Thurs 18 October

A few things have come together and I’m set to join 5 other Valley Striders at the FRA Relays in Grasmere on Saturday. So I was grateful to have the opportunity to head up there and recce Leg 4 – a round taking in Alcock Tarn, Heron Pike and Stone Arthur. Perfect autumnal weather displaying the Lakes at their best. I wonder if it will be like this on Saturday?

I also took a short detour to have a better look at the Grasmere Guides route, largely obscured by mist when I ran it back in August. Still just as steep, and all in full view of the Showground (on a clear day), so no doubt quite the spectacle it’s renowned to be. Note the flagstick holder at the start of the descent:

Sat 20 Oct

A long and memorable day, for lots of reasons. A 6.30am pick-up, and squeezed into the car are Simon, Mick, Jon, Ross and me, five-sixths of Valley Striders’ team for today’s British Fell Relay Championships in Grasmere. Our sixth member, soon-to-be-Dad Daz, will join us (all being well!) at the start. We soon transfer to a coach, along with various North Leeds Fellrunners and Pudsey Pacers, and are parked on the Grasmere Showground at 9.30am. A short walk to the event field, where we are greeted by the unusual sight of 1500 fellrunners all in one place. Didn’t know there were so many! Add the marquees, stalls, wristbands and rapidly-developing mud, it feels like a Glastonbury of Fellrunning.

10.30am, half an hour before the start, and still no sign of Daz. And he’s down to run Leg 1. Fortunately, Steve has also joined us, and is ready to step in if needed. Members of the team already blessed by fatherhood start swapping anecdotes about their “big days”. But, perfectly relaxed, Daz appears, proceeds to run a blinding first leg, and we are on our way. The second leg is paired, and Ross and Jon take the metaphorical baton over the rough ground of Fairfield and Cofa Pike. But the misty conditions mean that the crux will be Leg 3, the paired navigation leg. It’s Simon and Mick who, half a mile into their run, get handed a map marked with 5 checkpoints, and head off into the gloaming…

Meanwhile, I’ve been off recce-ing the final descent, which I didn’t get the chance to do on Thursday. Steep, grassy and slippery. Then, into the pen, waiting for Simon and Mick to appear, which they could do at any time within a likely half-hour window. Finally, a pair of white vests dash into the far field (coincidentally, just behind the final leg runner of Pudsey & Bramley, the first team back, so I get to photobomb their moment of glory on the finish line). A smooth handover and finally I’m off.

It’s soon into the long and steep climb to the top of Heron Pike, then the runnable stretch along the ridge and finally the fast descent. The route is flagged every 20 yards or so, but the mist is so thick it’s still difficult to follow the markers (thank goodness for the recce). As usual, I’m passed by a few runners on the climb, then haul the same number back in on the descent, so it feels like I’ve held our position. As expected, bum-sliding comes into play on a number of occasions!

We have all “dibbed” at the checkpoints on the way round, so the final results are straight up on the screens. We’ve come 40th, out of 245 teams, a brilliant result. It seems that consistency has been our strength – we ran the 51st, 56th, 43rd and 61st fastest legs respectively – whereas other teams’ performances fluctuated more noticeably. The fact that we have “no stars” helps the team dynamic I think. A well-earned post-race drink or two in Grasmere. But then, the return coach journey provides perhaps the toughest test of the day of all. A road accident at Settle sends our driver on a mad diversion, via Hawes, Leyburn, Harrogate and Blubberhouses. So it’s a 5 hour drive back from Grasmere. Miraculously, at 11pm, we are still all talking to each other and on good terms!

Many thanks in particular to Ambleside AC for hosting the event and to Ross for pulling the team together, but really thanks to everyone involved for making this such a terrific day.

Sun 21 Oct

Bouyed up by all things fellrunning, I decided on a full recce of next week’s Grin n Bear It race, a 15 mile round in the Dark Peak from Langsett. The first half was pretty steady over clear trails, which meant the second half came as a bit of a shock. With the clag down and a disappearing trod, it was full map and compass stuff over Swains Head and Cabin Hill, with testing underfoot conditions – tussocks, heather and peat. At one point my leg disappeared down an invisible hole and I was grateful to escape with a minor graze. In other words, nice to be back in the Dark Peak! Just under 4 hours for the full round.

Wed 24 Oct

Visiting family in Norfolk, I did a 5-mile loop along a disused railway line. Unseasonably warm.

Fri 26 Oct

Back home, found a few variations in Gledhow Valley, following unvisited paths just to see where they went (nowhere, usually). Good job I’m not on Strava – they’d think I was mad.

Sun 28 Oct

The value of a good recce! Blessed with fine, clear weather, I got round Grin n Bear It in about 2.35 – an hour and a quarter quicker than last week! – coming 30th out of 130ish. Took the first bit very steady, which allowed me to do the overtaking from then on. Didn’t need to use the map once, but still saved time by knowing a couple of lines from last week (which others didn’t spot). Overall, very pleased with my first “Long” race for 12 years. And excellent support (and post-race soup) from the race organisers – Woodhead Mountain Rescue Team.

Tues 30 Oct

Back in Norfolk for half-term. Went the other way along the railway, ending up in Aylsham, so a 12 mile there and back. Long, flat straights not really my thing, but all enlivened by heavy rain.