tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19901103767601433512024-03-13T01:19:32.911-07:00Slog up, stagger downThis is my fell and ultra running blog. I ran my first ultra marathon in 2011. I've built up over four years to a successful finish in the 2015 Spine Race. This year I'm aiming to focus on one longer mountain race, the Dragon's Back, with the Great Lakeland 3 Day as a warm-up event. If things go well, I might race in Europe in October again.
Jim Tinnionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09114544290502136378noreply@blogger.comBlogger269125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990110376760143351.post-71048260589806007212019-02-13T14:39:00.000-08:002019-02-13T14:39:40.105-08:00Spine Race - Part 3 - Kit ListHere's my kitlist from the Spine. I would have had a lot of kit I could have used 20 years ago when I was winter climbing and mountaineering a lot, but none of what I had left really fitted apart from the mitts. Fell running kit really isn't up to the job on the Spine, so I had to buy most of this specially. My thanks particularly to <a href="http://www.highsports.co.uk/" target="_blank">High Sports</a> in Shrewsbury who patiently let me try virtually everything in the shop, and always managed to find me a decent discount on production of my <a href="http://www.merciafellrunners.org.uk/" target="_blank">Mercia Fell Runners</a> membership card.<br />
<br />
If it isn't on here, it didn't get used:<br />
<br />
<b><u>Clothing</u></b><br />
<b><br />
</b> <u>Thermal tops</u> - I went for a base layer of long sleeved light to midweight thermal tops:<br />
<br />
<ul><li><i>Arctery'x Phase SV Zip Neck Thermal</i> - very warm, but not fantastically wicking when worn next to the skin so it could feel a bit sticky, found the zip neck together with all the other zip necks mid layers just meant everything was a bit too bulky, so I switched at Hawes to</li>
<li><i>Salomon Mens' Trail Long Sleeved T</i> - not as warm but much better wicking, and a crew neck so no extra bulk. I wore this all the way from Hawes to KY.</li>
</ul><br />
<u>Underwear</u>:<br />
<br />
<ul><li><i>Kalenji </i>and <i>M&S microfibre </i>briefs, both picked because they're warm when wet and close fitting but not too tight.</li>
</ul><br />
<u>Running tights</u>:<br />
<br />
<ul><li><i>Ron Hill Trail Winter Tight</i> - superb, I could not fault these - good wind resistance, wicked quite well, very warm and only changed them when they got disgustingly filthy.</li>
<li><i>Marmot Powerstretch Tights</i> - equally brilliant in a different way - not so good in the wind but warmer in still air, wore these from Alston to the finish and they performed really well on the very cold last night on the Cheviot.</li>
</ul><br />
<br />
<u>Shoes and Socks</u>:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul><li><i>Inov8 Trail Ultra 290s</i> - these were a size 10 with a little room in them (not a lot). Great on the slabs (compared to other shoes) because there's quite a lot of rubber in contact, and acceptable on mud. Drain about as well as can be expected considering the wrap around welt to protect your feet. My only gripe is the shoe comes a little high on the outside under my ankle bone and can rub there - I pre-taped with Kinesio tape for the first leg, had no problems, and didn't bother for the second leg, still no problem. Probably had done about 150 miles in these before the start of the Spine race. Fine afterwards, look like there's plenty of life in them yet (260 miles done now).</li>
<li><i>Salomon Speedcross 3 </i>- the standard ones, not the Goretex ones, in size 11. Very comfortable and a little more cushioned than the Race Ultras. Nowhere near as good on the slabs and only just a good grip wise on mud, but they protected my feet well except for the massive tongues freezing up and battering my ankles on the leg from Middleton to Alston, but this was really down to wearing the wrong gaiters, not the shoes. Reasonably comfortable in combination with my Micro Spikes on the final leg over the frozen Cheviot.</li>
</ul><br />
See my Part 2 post for more detail on my choice of socks, but suffice to say I had no blisters whatsoever. My feet were cold on and off but never to the point where I was worried damage was being done. I didn't use waterproof footwear, but I had no signs of trench foot at all. I started with thickish socks when putting each pair of shoes on first, then moved onto the thinner Hillys as my feet swelled to fill the shoes more tightly. I changed socks at every CP, although I did just rinse the liner socks out to get rid of all the silt, wring them out and put them back on a couple of times.<br />
<br />
<ul><li><i>Bridgedale Coolmax Liners and Bridgedale Thermal Liners - </i>couldn't really tell the difference between these, but they were comfortable and also useful to wear to pad around the various CPs.</li>
<li><i>Hilly Off Road Anklet - </i>brilliant mid-weight merino socks, fairly warm and very comfortable (except that ankle elastics can dig in a bit once your ankles start swelling because they're quite low).</li>
<li><i>Smartwool PhD Outdoor Medium Crew Sock - </i>I had a pair of these from years ago, I think I bought them in REI in Vancouver in 2000 and odd. After my experiment with Drymax failed to impress I had a brainwave and reverted to my old walking sock solution of thin liners and a more cushioned woolen sock. The old worn out ones worked so well I bought a couple on new pairs. Extremely warm, even when wet through, very comfortable, and well worth the investment. Much higher than the Hillys, so no problem with biting in.</li>
</ul><div>Wearing gaiters was one of my best decisions - they kept almost all of the abrasive material you normally collect out of my shoes and socks. The plan backfired on me a bit when they froze solid on the way from Middleton to Alston, but I should have switched to waterproof gaiters for such extensive snow work.</div><div><ul><li>Inov8 Debris Gaiters - worked very well although both the front clips eventually failed. I could have cable tied them onto my laces but couldn't be bothered as help was on its way by the time the second one went. Would use again in any conditions other than snow.</li>
<li>Cheapo PU Nylon walking gaiters - obtained by Zoe from an outdoor shop in Corbridge and handed to me at Peel Road. Wore them to Byrness then forgot to put them back on for the Cheviot crossing. Got away with it!</li>
</ul></div><div><u>Mid-layers</u></div><br />
<u><br />
</u> I wore a mid layer throughout, and doubled up on the colder sections or when I was moving slowly with a fleecy bodywarmer.<br />
<br />
<ul><li><i>RAB Mens Powerstretch Pullover (x2)</i> - so good I wore one throughout. 2013 model to Middleton, 2014 model (a little softer and a little less snug fitting but just as warm) thereafter. You really need a layer which will fit closely and trap a lot of air next to your skin. I put the fact I could keep going when my cag wetted out on day 2 and the morning of day 3 to these tops. Absolutely indispensible.</li>
<li><i>North Face UTMB (CCC) Race Finisher's Gilet - </i>great as an extra layer because it had no arms, so I could slip it on without risk of overheating. Used from Malham to Alston and again between Byrness and KY.</li>
</ul><div><u>Emergency Insulation</u></div><div><u><br />
</u></div><div>Look no further than Primaloft to provide your emergency layer. Down just doesn't cut it in an atmosphere where, even if you can keep it dry in your bag, it'll be soaked quite quickly once it's on.</div><div><ul><li><i>Montane Fireball Smock</i> - awesome as an extra layer over your mid-layers, shit as a mid layer because it doesn't trap that layer of warm air next to your skin. An amazing piece of kit but you need to learn how to use it (that gem cost me a 100 mile DNF to learn);</li>
<li>I also borrowed a super-thick Primaloft jacket (RAB I think) from Darren Hunt before I started the final section over the Cheviots. I just wanted to be sure... I stuck it on for the first ten minutes away from each of the Huts when I was just getting going again then packed it away into my sack as soon as I felt myself starting to get a sweat on.</li>
</ul><div><u>Shell</u></div></div><div><ul><li>OMM Aether eVent Jacket</li>
<li>Haglofs Smock</li>
<li>OMM Kamleika Pants</li>
<li>Montane Lightning Windproof Smock</li>
</ul><div><u>Headgear</u></div></div><div><ul><li>Underarmour Balaclava</li>
<li>Montane Fireball hat</li>
<li>Ron Hill hat</li>
<li>Buffs - mainly a Wrekin Wrecker buff I got for marshalling some friends' race a few weeks before, worn round my neck when feeling a little cool, doubled up on my right wrist the rest of the time. Simple, effective way to micro-adjust temperature.</li>
</ul><div><u>Gloves and Mitts:</u></div></div><div><ul><li>Nike gloves</li>
<li>Extremities Wind Gloves</li>
<li>Extremities Waterproof Gloves</li>
<li>Helly Hansen Mountaineering Mitts</li>
</ul><div><br />
</div></div>Jim Tinnionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09114544290502136378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990110376760143351.post-75491477481658028842015-03-02T03:37:00.004-08:002015-03-02T13:52:51.588-08:00Spine Race Part 2 - Match Analysis!<div class="MsoNormal">
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<br />
I thought I'd finish the second part of the blog first - the blow-by-blow commentary can wait a little while longer (besides I need to get the photos sorted), but this was always going to be a learning experience and the more interesting and important stuff is really the review of the race.<br />
<br />
<b>What went well</b><br />
<br />
<u>General approach / plan</u><br />
<u><br /></u>
Reading people's blogs from previous years, it's clear that most drop outs, even if they actually happen later in the race, can be tracked back to serious mistakes on day 1 or day 2. If you get past halfway in good order you're going to be pretty unlucky (or have to do something really dumb) not to finish.<br />
<br />
My race strategy was therefore to take it steady and protect myself as much as possible until the very last stage (by that I mean the mountains after Byrness) where I would let myself race unless conditions or my condition meant that wasn't possible. So I planned to sleep and eat plenty and to "run" really within myself. Most importantly, I wouldn't worry about being near the back or about what anyone else was doing, I'd just concentrate on the factors I could control. In general this worked well - I noticed that I was stopping to brew up and eat quite a bit more than many of the other racers, but this meant I could maintain a decent pace when I was moving and keep warm more easily.<br />
<br />
But the key thing about your strategy is how you deal with the mental aspect of the race. I was very determined and organised about this and it really paid dividends. First, you have to understand very clearly why you are doing the Spine race and what you want to get out of it. Be disciplined with this and make it an aim which is always positive. Process related goals are best (i.e. ones which are about how you do the race rather than about end result). This stops you thinking about how unbelieveably bloody far it is to the finish, and replaces that with something useful as you are actually in the process of slogging your way north.<br />
<br />
For me, I just love being out in the wild. Lots of overnight runs and events, often alone, have left me comfortable navigating and moving on rough ground at night and more able to focus on where I am and how fortune I am to be there. I decided that whenever it got tough I'd think about how much better it would be to be wherever I was than to be sitting in the office at work!<br />
<br />
I had a rough time for a while when I was very tired and conditions weren't great after Great Shunner Fell. I worked it out in the end just after Keld, got myself back in my happy place and realised I was going to be ok. The four hours or so this took were pretty raw and emotional, but I was ready for that too and I came out of it much stronger. I started to realise that all I had to do was keep going (over and above the basics of keeping warm, on track and safe which by this point most racers will have "got"). In my head I knew from here on that I would finish, it wasn't negotiable, the only way I was stopping was if someone from the event tapped me on the shoulder and told me either I was out of time or I was too injured to continue.<br />
<br />
Luck can seem to come into the Spine a lot of the time. We had a couple of weather holds which were "lucky" (no, they weren't - conditions were really too bad for folks to be moving about in any safety on the hills and getting a break because conditions had got that bad wasn't lucky because we'd already been through some very testing weather as it deteriorated). Was I "lucky" to be able to stop at Lothersdale pub to get dry? No, I'd checked opening hours and spoken to the landlord to see if he would be doing food all day. Was I lucky to get going again after the bad spell in Swaledale? No, I worked through what was happening (really tired, cold, moving very slowly) and eventually did something about it (I stopped and ate a lot of sugary snacks followed by a proper hot meal and lots of caffeine). In the end the only real luck I had was meeting Burts on the Ladybank road midway between the wall and Bellingham when I was in another low spot, but even then I'd already mentally solved the problem by deciding I was going to find some shelter by the road and stop and cook some food. It was just nice to have someone else to chat to and do the cooking!<br />
<br />
On the Spine, you make your own luck, and you do that by having the right skills and experience, the right gear, and the right attitude.<br />
<br />
One more thing! I'm a keen Blogger and do Facebook a lot too. But not on the Spine. Whilst it was amazing to know people would be tracking and posting supportive messages and so on, I decided to take Joe Faulkner's advice and not let myself be distracted by any of that. Sometimes good wishes from home and friends can just make you want to be back there and I didn't want to risk it. I took a cheapo PAYG phone purely for comms with the race team and Zoe. I only messaged Zoe once, from Middleton, to say it was going ok, until I saw her on Friday morning near the A69. Otherwise I just stayed in my own moment. That was a really great piece of advice and something I'll do again. It's hard enough to keep your head in the right place with the distractions the race will put in front of you without adding a load more.<br />
<u><br /></u>
<u>Feet and foot care</u><br />
<br />
I'd listened carefully at the training weekend and spent a lot of time in November and December sorting out what to do. In brief, I went with a two layer sock solution, wearing a thin coolmax liner sock and a variety of thicker wool outer socks to suit the conditions, my footwear, and the size of my feet. I tried this out on the two longer reccies I managed and so I knew what worked over 50 miles of bog and slabs and was able just to buy more of it. I also tried drymax socks in various types which have worked well for others but were a dead loss for me. I wore a set of cloth gaiters almost throughout and they kept almost all the grit and vegetation out of my shoes. All I had in my socks at the end of each leg was a large dose of silt. I changed from racing shoes to more comfortable shoes in a half size larger at Hawes. I'd tried both first...<br />
<br />
In addition to getting the socks and shoes sussed, I got the foot care spot on - at every checkpoint I took everything off and washed my feet as best as I could (I had wet wipes in the drop bag but generally was able to use a sink or bowl of hot water and a luxury hot shower at Middleton). I then talc'ed each foot up and put the liner socks for the next stage on whilst I slept. Result was no trench foot and no blisters whatsoever. That's right, no blisters.<br />
<br />
<u>Kit / clothing</u><br />
<br />
I had my kit pretty sussed out by the time I started and only had two major mistakes with equipment - but I got enough of it right that I could deal with both of them.<br />
<br />
Your kit has to:<br />
<ul>
<li>Keep you warm - primarily warm enough to stay alive, but ideally warm enough to function well, make reasonable forward progress and be able to make decisions;</li>
<li>Keep you comfortable - it's all relative, but I mean this in the sense that it's obviously easier to progress forwards if you don't lose large amounts of skin from contact points or get muscle cramps or back pain or whatever;</li>
<li>Give you flexibility - you need to be able to "tune" your clothing and your strategy to suit the conditions and your state.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Ideally your kit needs to be as light as possible while its doing fulfilling these functions. When considering weight, I'd disregard the weight of what you will normally be wearing or carrying in you hands - it makes little difference whether your cag is 250g or 450g. Weight on your back does make a lot of difference to the comfort and speed you can move.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My full kit list with reasons will be in another post - I'll only listed the things I actually used or carried and I guess 60% of what was in my drop bag never got used.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The two things I'm going focus on here are your <b>clothing</b> and your <b>carrying system</b>. These make the most difference while you're actually moving. I didn't really test my sleep system in the race as my only bivvy away from a checkpoint was effectively under cover, in the ladies loos at Malham.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Clothing wise, I went for a wicking base layer (ideally crew neck and long sleeved) with a powerstretch (i.e. closely fitting) mid layer on top. I wore synthetic briefs (I don't like boxers!) and winter weight running tights on my legs. On top of that I had my waterproof shell which I wore all the time on this race. In my bag I had a Primaloft top which I ended up wearing most of the time. Most critically I had several means of micro adjusting my temperature - three weights of hand wear and three different hats (the most I wore together was two of each). I wore a buff from a local race organised by my best ultra-running mates throughout - every time I looked at it I had a little lift remembering the crack we've had. The knack in UK cold conditions is not to break a sweat - keep your base and mid layers reasonably dry and they will keep you warm and happy - so I concentrated a lot on moderating my pace on the climbs and adding buffs, hats, and thicker gloves on any slow flat or downhill sections to keep warm.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivnXrv879W-Z1yY0ko2nqwygQvICLA4fH096kRtgJlv3WUjAT8cOkxsiXbH6nMmLsS90k9J7UKmUV6OLzxrN_-cMgKhtnOoqj5sEDuztbDp3YfxxQG-Psga1gzBIp8pTa16J8EP_PJ2R8s/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivnXrv879W-Z1yY0ko2nqwygQvICLA4fH096kRtgJlv3WUjAT8cOkxsiXbH6nMmLsS90k9J7UKmUV6OLzxrN_-cMgKhtnOoqj5sEDuztbDp3YfxxQG-Psga1gzBIp8pTa16J8EP_PJ2R8s/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="400" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorting feet at Hawes. Almost full race kit still on -<br />
thermal, powerstretch mid-layer, primaloft and shell.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
In my pack I carried a dry set of base layer (heavy-ish weight thermal top and longjohns) in case I took a dunking and needed to get my skin dry quickly, a spare fleece (used on the colder sections later in the race when I was feeling it) and spare socks. Everything in my pack was sorted into a variety of dry bags - different sizes and colours.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I started out intending to use my OMM 30L Classic mountain marathon pack, and both my longer reccies were done with this and a small front pack. I had everything sussed - everything had a place, it was all accessible when I wanted it and I knew where everything was - but I was getting a lot of pain in my shoulders and my lower back. The Spine load is heavier even than a solo mountain marathon load, the stages are twice or three times as long as a big MM day, and you're going out five, six, or seven days in a row, not two. In the end I just don't think the OMM worked for me for this event, so I switched approach.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
After the second reccie I popped across to Kendal for a chat with Charlie Sproson, and came away with an Aarn pack. This has big pockets on the front which help balance the load so it pulls back less on your shoulders, and a great system of straps which works like a series of ropes and pullies to keep the load much more stable as you move your upper body around. I bought the pack there and then and, because I'd run out of reccie time, I did the Tour de Helvellyn race on the last Saturday before Christmas with (almost) full Spine kit in the new pack. This gave me the chance to suss out where to put everything and spend a reasonably long day adjusting and grooving the system and getting used to the pack.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My only problem with it during the event was an uncomfortable few hours from Bellingham to Byness after a marshal picked the sack up by the back adjuster strap, unbeknown to me, and managed to throw the adjustment right off. I didn't know what was wrong with it until I stopped at Byrness and had a good fiddle around. The same guy also took my mitts to somewhere unknown to dry them at Byrness, even though I didn't want them moved, and then wasn't around to show me where they were when I wanted to leave so I ended up racing around trying to borrow some. Anyway, apart from 8 hours on the last day, I had no back or shoulder problems at all during the event.</div>
<br />
<br />
<b>What went less well</b><br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Sleep / CP Strategy</u><br />
<u><br /></u>
The strategy was to sleep as follows:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>tent outside CP1 at Hebden Hay;</li>
<li>tent again somewhere around Horton;</li>
<li>one of the shelters between the A66 and Middleton, or in the CP at Middleton;</li>
<li>in the CPs at Alston and Bellingham</li>
</ul>
<div>
This was a pretty flawed strategy in hindsight. The late start and the very poor weather on the first leg meant it was after 5am when I got to Hebden. I was too tired and cold to want to sleep outside: I found a bed in a dorm but it was very noisy and I probably only managed 30 mins sleep in a 2 hour lie-down. The weather and underfoot conditions on the second leg were tough again and it was 2:30am when we got to Malham Village in rapidly deteriorating weather. We'd been told that the mid-way CP at Malham Tarn would just be a single room so we decided to try to sleep at Malham. Good result, I managed 2½ hours' decent sleep in the ladies' loos with the Germans while Stephen and Iain had a reasonable if smelly kip next door in the gents.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I really cocked up at Hawes later in the day, I stopped for six hours and managed maybe an hour of sleep. The CP was a large single room and there was a lot of noise. I should have sorted myself out, eaten, and headed out to bivvy in Swaledale somewhere. Middleton was fine, plenty of dorms which were quiet, it was just a shame I got woken up a couple of times to be consulted about getting a group together for the next leg. Because of the extended weather hold we all got loads of sleep at Alston, although I had some sleep in the bank from Middleton and would probably have gone straight through and on to Greenhead if we hadn't had the hold.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I slept well at Bellingham by avoiding the large hall and crashing on a sofa in the staff room - thanks for putting up with the stench and the snoring guys. I even managed to sleep with my feet right up which probably was the difference later on when I had to cram them back in my shoes. I intended to get 45 minutes sleep at Byrness but I was the last runner there (although several hours ahead of some who were in front of me from the restart due to our arrival times at Alston). I didn't want to delay the MST team deploying to sweep the course and I knew there were guys sat in the first mountain hut too who wouldn't be that comfortable so I had a decent rest and left in time to make it up to Byrness Hill at last light. Because I ate steadily all night and had proper meal and coffee stops at both huts I was easily able to keep going all the way to Kirk Yetholm.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sleep summary:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>CP1: 30 mins</li>
<li>Malham: 150 mins</li>
<li>CP2: 60 mins</li>
<li>CP3: 240 mins</li>
<li>CP4: loads</li>
<li>CP5: 120 mins</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
The weather stops didn't help me in terms of my time as I had banked sleep at Malham (four hours lost compared to those who were at the CP during the stop) and at Middleton (when I could have gone straight on to Alston if I'd known we were going to be held there - another four hours) but I wasn't in touch enough with forecasts to be able to second guess Stu Westfield's safety decisions - I doubt any racers were.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Next time I'd take a "do not disturb - wake me up at ____" sign for the checkpoints. I'd have a different and more flexible plan for sleeping, and I wouldn't sleep until Malham - I now know what to do when the sleep monsters strike and would be more prepared to take a small risk.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<u>Support</u><br />
<br />
Predominantly I did the race unsupported, which was absolutely the right way to go. My partner came up to Northumberland and was able to offer limited support from just before Greenhead to Byrness. It was great to see her at Lambley briefly and helpful to meet at a couple of places along the wall just after I'd had problems with my right knee. The weather was really foul on the wall and it was nice to be able to jump into a warm car for ten minutes and be fed soup. She was also able to bring me a cheap pair of waterproof gaiters when I needed them (see below).<br />
<br />
But the problem with support is that you quickly become dependent on it, and the final time I nearly came off the rails was on the crossing from the Wall to Bellingham, when Zoe had to text me to let me know she couldn't make it to Ladybank. I felt crestfallen and defeated until I pulled myself together. In the end I decided I'd make a drink and a dehyd meal up when I got to the road. Andrew Burton saved me the effort, coming to the rescue as he'd been out to support Joe and Mark and not yet moved on.<br />
<br />
I think the importance of staying on an even keel mentally / emotionally probably outweighs the physical advantages of support on this event, for me at least. For a more easily / reliably supportable event (better weather, better roads, more predicatable timings) I would consider running supported, but not for a future Spine run.<br />
<br />
<u>Kit mistakes </u><br />
<br />
Both my fault, not the kit!<br />
<br />
I bought an eVent jacket specifically for the Spine. It's a brilliant piece of kit - light, very very breathable, equally waterproof fully adjustable hood, etc. The only drawback is the storm flap behind the zip which isn't wide enough and gets caught in the zip on a frequent basis, and the fact that it stopped being waterproof in a massive rain/sleet storm as we crossed Ickornshaw Moor on day two. I'd done two 18hr+ reccie trips, Tour de Helvellyn and a few other days out in it since buying it. I'd covered it in mud and sweated a few buckets into it towards the end of T de H. Not to mention the first 30 hours of the Spine itself which were pretty demanding conditions. Basically I'd filled the pores in the membrane and worn the DWR away, so the jacket was wetting out and not breathing well anyway.<br />
<br />
I was "lucky" with this one. It helped that I was wearing the right stuff underneath so I was (just about) warm enough even when everything got soaked. It also helped that we got to Lothersdale in improving conditions and I was able to dry all my kit in the pub. We bivvied at Malham as the weather was turning really foul on the second night and had a free 40 minute stop at CP1A at Malham Tarn early on the third morning after a soaking coming up from the village so again I could get everything dried off. After intermittent but driving rain up Fountains Fell, day 3 turned into a fairly nice day (apart form the immensely strong wind), so I could make it to Hawes and my drop bag, and switch to my back-up cag. The lesson is that nothing, save possibly Paramo, stays waterproof for long in the conditions we find ourselves racing in, so you need to (carefully) wash and re-proof your waterproofs regularly and definitely before any major events.<br />
<br />
I wore the wrong gaiters on the high crossing from Middleton to Alston. We started just after a fresh dump of snow and it was incredibly windy and very cold up at Cow Green. Cloth gaiters are fabulous at keeping grit and other debris out of your shoes but very very rubbish when the are wet and then freeze solid. Shortly after that the (over-ample) tongues on my Speedcross shoes also froze solid, banging into the front of my ankles every time I took a step. The result was that I was in pain and slowed by that and by having to stop to try to break up the ice a bit every few hundred yards.<br />
<br />
You will make more mistakes towards the end as you get tired. I dropped a glove and my balaclava, and I forgot to put my waterproof gaiters on for the final leg over the mountains despite Zoe's effort in getting them. The knack is to make few enough mistakes early on when your brain is still working well that the ones you make later don't matter so much.<br />
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<u>Groups</u><br />
<br />
Generally being in groups didn't work very well for me. I walked in company three times. The first, from Lothersdale to Hardraw was very helpful. Stephen and Iain went at a sensible and steady pace. If one of us stopped we could easily jog for a few minutes to catch back up. Having read Allan Rumbles' excellent and throughtful blog on this I was wary of forming a permanent alliance, especially as John and Iain clearly already knew each other well, and three's a crowd too, right? But we were together for a tough 30 hours and we decided to leave Hawes together. I dropped a mitten near Hardraw and didn't notice for quarter of a mile, but I decided to go back for it (good decision). I thought I might catch them up over Great Shunner but I made a nav error at the fell gate and lost a few more minutes and that was that. I had a few minutes of feeling down when I realised I wouldn't catch them but Great Shunner in a snow storm at 2am was too magical a place to be down for long.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLoL8l74ErlUSP8b3kgulfSEgunrxEzv074dc8W9SxKi-e2biG2iDzEl9OgIv10dvJ2D38xsTzvdObJwLRePjNvgIotIRxc-rcUMvMrgZVt5jNSjHGCPZT-SBC03P9KHIbF8gxb-yH2Vsa/s1600/DSC_4101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLoL8l74ErlUSP8b3kgulfSEgunrxEzv074dc8W9SxKi-e2biG2iDzEl9OgIv10dvJ2D38xsTzvdObJwLRePjNvgIotIRxc-rcUMvMrgZVt5jNSjHGCPZT-SBC03P9KHIbF8gxb-yH2Vsa/s1600/DSC_4101.jpg" height="266" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A good group, working well - Iain, Stephen and me - all laughing despite<br />
having been racing for 52 hours already. Pic from Cam End © The extremely<br />
excellent Mick Kenyon of <a href="http://www.racingsnakes.com/TheSpine2015.php" target="_blank">Racing Snakes</a> - used with permission</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Having been very tired at Keld, I planned on a good sleep at Middleton but was woken twice to be advised of other people's plans for the next leg. I'd rather have got a good kip, thanks. But Carl did do a good job of pulling a decent group together to do what was clearly going to be a challenging leg to Alston. I was just pretty tired and I didn't want to go as fast as three of the guys. When we regrouped (which was obviously making the quicker guys cold) I twice offered to drop off the back of the group and make my own way. I was pushing too hard to keep up and not eating or drinking enough, and was very glad to see MST2's big Merc camper at the top of the Cow Green road. We all scrambled aboard and were given hot drinks. I said I wasn't going to go on with the group and to my surprise, two of the other five also wanted to wait a bit and recover before pushing on to Alston. Carl, Ben and Phillip went on after a 20 minute stop and Alan, Mike and I stayed for another hour, sleeping a little and drinking and eating (which was what I'd have been doing on the way up if we'd moved a minute a mile slower). So pushing for 10 miles had cost me probably the best part of an hour, and it was good that the MST truck was there otherwise I might have been in no fit state to continue by the time I got to Alston. As it was in the smaller group we all had our own troubles on the way over to Alston - Alan was just very tired having done Horton to Middleton in one push and then gone almost straight back out again, and Mike was struggling with very badly blistered feet which meant he couldn't go fast enough to keep his legs warm. We stopped at a farm at Garrigill for half an hour for mike to get warmed up. At a steadier pace though, we got there in the end all feeling pretty reasonable, and the group with Alan and Mike ended up being quite a positive one.<br />
<br />
I had a nice couple of hours coming out of Bellingham with Joe and Mark - I know Joe quite well and felt very comfortable chatting away and Mark I've met before a few time and I think we find each other interesting, if very different! Again though I felt I was pushing a little more than I wanted to so I took a 15 minute rest when we met Zoe on the Gibshiel Road and felt better for it. I went on steadily for a bit and was caught by the Germans (Andreas and Michael) before the start of the Redesdale Forest section. Again we had a nice hour or so together, joking our way through the forest and even running some sections. Together these guys got me through to Bellingham in good spirits.<br />
<br />
I travelled around 80 of the 255 miles in groups and the rest on my own. Groups made the time pass quickly, but I was less in the moment, and struggled a lot dealing with (my perception of) the group's needs - not really what I'd resolved to do in terms of not worrying about what others were doing.<br />
<br />
My "best bits" were all on my own: the epic first night hailstorm on Blackstone Edge; Great Shunner Fell and the section from above Keld where I got myself sorted through to Middleton, and the final "run-in" over the Cheviot where my nav was spot on and I had an absolute ball yomping across the dark mountains, pausing at the huts for food and cameraderie, and passing maybe ten other racers on my glory leg, revelling in the realisation that the overall plan was coming together: not only was I going to make it, but I was going to do it in style, out on the fells where I feel most at home.<br />
<br />
IF I do the Spine again, (and I probably will in time), it'll be as a solo effort, with no support - those were the bits where I enjoyed myself most, learned the most, and was most me.<br />
<br />
<b>Why did I finish?</b><br />
<br />
I was reasonably well prepared, physically and in terms of my kit. I wasn't as fit as I wanted to be, but then who ever is, and as Allan Rumbles has pointed out, you get fitter as you go along on this race! My experience of mountaineering, hillwalking and above all mountain marathoning gave me most of the skill set I needed to look after myself. But above all, I had the right attitude. When it came down to it, I wanted to keep going. A lot. Not to finish, but because I was really, genuinely, enjoying myself. That meant I could hang in there when it was all going wrong, and come out of each difficulty actually feeling stronger and better equipped to keep going.<br />
<br />
This race ultimately is about just that. It's not about finishing, or times, or hard running. It's about doing what you need to do to keep going. For me that was having the right attitude, and enjoying everything the race could throw at me.<br />
<br />
I had the most awesome experience, for which I'd like to thank everyone who made it possible.<br />
<br />
<b>Postscript</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br />
I'd thought about the race right up to the point of finishing. I never really gave much of a thought to what happens afterwards. It's changed some folk's lives, I know that for talking to them. For me though, I feel a little calmer and a little clearer about what's important to me. The time in the hills was what I treasured the most from the race. Future decisions will be shaped towards making sure I can enjoy more of that and share it with Zoe too. I will have some memories of some amazing moments: the feeling I had sat on the summit rocks of Schill 6 miles from the finish at 3:30am, just being still, on my own in that immense landscape, enjoying the moment, will live with me for ever - I'm almost welling up thinking about it.<br />
<br />
The physical aftermath is pretty much as I expected - swollen feet and ankles that took three weeks to go down, a deep physical tiredness that has only just passed, and reduced strength and flexibility which I should have copped earlier but which has caused a few niggles and now a minor calf pull.<br />
<br />
Mentally I was totally unprepared for three weeks of my subconscious trying to sort out what I'd just put myself through. Waking up two or three times every night from endless Spine racing dreams with something having suddenly gone badly wrong? What was that all about - I'd finished the thing hadn't I? Maybe just the stress and tension I felt during the event dissipating?? I don't know really, and the dreams have stopped now. Emotionally I might be a little more in touch with myself, but much stronger too. I'm starting to refocus into the present and the future, starting to be able to look towards the next big events that life might bring...</div>
Jim Tinnionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09114544290502136378noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990110376760143351.post-57854920432885502382014-12-23T00:54:00.001-08:002014-12-23T01:16:42.664-08:00Tour de Helvellyn - 20/12/2014<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5n7BJiWeK7xrAbrY4h8J6aqpe_1jSVA68KnQDzAW4mEu5fTpW0eqVxP5MNYrMk0S9KWvJ572yh-3vf-f4O8hu-fKfAx7UN-4PCGPR_xPOZ0Mi_8oxd3qMzjTJHNhQQxLsHubWW1qVB_Nf/s1600/image5.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5n7BJiWeK7xrAbrY4h8J6aqpe_1jSVA68KnQDzAW4mEu5fTpW0eqVxP5MNYrMk0S9KWvJ572yh-3vf-f4O8hu-fKfAx7UN-4PCGPR_xPOZ0Mi_8oxd3qMzjTJHNhQQxLsHubWW1qVB_Nf/s1600/image5.jpeg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming into Side Farm on the way back...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Back to the Tour for a third time. This year I was just aiming to jog/walk round, test a couple of pieces of kit for the Spine race, and enjoy a long day out with Zoe.<br />
<br />
It all went broadly according to plan although I think I must have picked up a bit of a virus or something. I'd had a sore throat on Friday and just felt a bit flat all day on Saturday.<br />
<br />
For those not in the know, the Tour is a friendly low key event which features a surprising amount of fairly easy running in its 36 to 39 miles (estimates vary, but the normal route is about 36.5 miles and this years' altered route was a bit over 38.5). The course is a lollipop shaped route, with an out-and-back section between the start/finish at Askham and Patterdale, and an anticlockwise loop around Helvellyn which goes out over Sticks Pass, then along Thirlmere, and comes back from Dunmail Raise via Grisedale Tarn and valley. This year the normal route along the east shore of Thirlmere was impassible due to recent forestry works, so the route was amended to follow the very quiet road on the west shore.<br />
<br />
Anyway it all went well for me until we reached Legburthwaite at the foot of Thirlmere. Huw and Glen Davies overtook us on the descent of Sticks Pass. I somehow cut my finger slightly in the checkpoint - I couldn't believe the amount of blood this generated, but it was easily patched up. We saw Dick Scroop on the way around the lake. I was struggling to run on the road - I think I just haven't done that much actual running and maybe the new Mizuno Wave Mujin shoes have a little more drop than I'm used to so were causing a bit of trouble, but Zoe is great at keeping going on the easier ground and got me through it.<br />
<br />
I felt a bit more lively on the climb to Grisedale Tarn although I was still lagging behind a little, but the descent is fairly steep and quite technical and I managed to get it reasonably together and keep it that way from there on in.<br />
<br />
We stopped for a few minutes at the Side Farm control and I sat and had a cuppa (bring your own milk for Joe's events!) and a bit of flapjack before we tackled the Boredale Hause climb and the long run / walk back to Askham. The final section of the event crosses an area known as the Cockpit which is notorious for confusing tired runners and adding bonus miles at the end of the day. I got it spot on in the darkness this time - take careful note of landmarks on the way out, but coming home it's sharp right at the standing stones, aiming well right of the woodland initially, then follow the path as it comes around to the left and faces the woodland, cross a very distinct grassy crosss path still heading for the end of the wood, then turn right ten yards after the boulder just to the right of the path!<br />
<br />
Plus points:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>coped well with nearly a full Spine load and was able to move much faster than I'll need to on the Spine;</li>
<li>virtually no shoulder / upper back pain this trip - a result of switching to an Aarn Marathon Magic pack;</li>
<li>Wave Mujins were great with a thin Coolmax liner and thick Smartwool hiking socks - no blisters, but loads of room for swollen feet and much more grip than I had expected;</li>
<li>Clothing was spot on for the day - fairly mild but windy with the odd squall of rain - Salomon long sleeved wicking base layer, RAB powerstretch top and Haglofs windproof on top, and just a midweight pair of Ron Hill 3/4 length leggings. Regulated heat well venting with zips and warming with buff and thin wind gloves.</li>
</ul>
<div>
Things to work on:</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>probably didn't drink enough;</li>
<li>should have eaten a bit more too, but when moving slower on the Spine this should be ok;</li>
<li>a bit of chafing off the velcro fastenings at the bottoms of the front pockets on the Aarn pack.</li>
</ul>
<div>
All in all a fun and useful day out. Huge thanks to Joe and his team - Lindsay, Darren, Stuart, John and those I didn't recognise too... Pics from <a href="http://www.nav4.co.uk/">http://www.nav4.co.uk</a></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3rrEMoxl82WWPSo5p9rpvWwdhElyisxTpi3QYQWodLSPSN7UMQrjfuhsKjspac7jWYNSKATsc6IEiI06yLfos2CYYr4OBYMeAAyiEWf1xbRn2PBTby-Q6TT-UMa5AyG8e8IzRriDtaK_/s1600/image1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm3rrEMoxl82WWPSo5p9rpvWwdhElyisxTpi3QYQWodLSPSN7UMQrjfuhsKjspac7jWYNSKATsc6IEiI06yLfos2CYYr4OBYMeAAyiEWf1xbRn2PBTby-Q6TT-UMa5AyG8e8IzRriDtaK_/s1600/image1.jpeg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What the hell is that in your hand Zoe? Who do you think you are?</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIeP5wTmYCLJSwIAZ3t__Yh0I6yXbh898TVHSkQTXMsErugWWOMJo85wM0jlzCyMGzemdr-FQI6Q8XxcICk95L0FenSHR6bHdcgno57u2nmMFbFKm5_-CIn0hD-MM_ipjYxnS3VAfs0rLQ/s1600/image2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIeP5wTmYCLJSwIAZ3t__Yh0I6yXbh898TVHSkQTXMsErugWWOMJo85wM0jlzCyMGzemdr-FQI6Q8XxcICk95L0FenSHR6bHdcgno57u2nmMFbFKm5_-CIn0hD-MM_ipjYxnS3VAfs0rLQ/s1600/image2.jpeg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the start...</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGYBIKR8pPJx4l07snwwzeSZMAI12_t6YjP7mM1Sf215rZ9JG7A9O0gZOSmLtvGoK-3s8XB0cE-5rdnvZ2WYPtQiv1cMfM4VC0tygzByjaGU1g8dzO98QLLlcehayfGC10WLZbhrgn7nLw/s1600/image3.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGYBIKR8pPJx4l07snwwzeSZMAI12_t6YjP7mM1Sf215rZ9JG7A9O0gZOSmLtvGoK-3s8XB0cE-5rdnvZ2WYPtQiv1cMfM4VC0tygzByjaGU1g8dzO98QLLlcehayfGC10WLZbhrgn7nLw/s1600/image3.jpeg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa's little helper at the Swart Back bridge on the Sticks Climb</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8e5e5Ihhbt6vWjx6ZlicnPtTw7HUCvKRhkxRDEV9nMlDvebqO9Y0LR3_Pf3v34X07kfGYOtGFQAkArYTprYjiHwHng7pzPr9-tafa95z3GeWYyKQ-WXKdG5Dc57owSzbao4AWa6TYPEk/s1600/image4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgU8e5e5Ihhbt6vWjx6ZlicnPtTw7HUCvKRhkxRDEV9nMlDvebqO9Y0LR3_Pf3v34X07kfGYOtGFQAkArYTprYjiHwHng7pzPr9-tafa95z3GeWYyKQ-WXKdG5Dc57owSzbao4AWa6TYPEk/s1600/image4.jpeg" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dibbing at Swart Beck - almost sunny - a TdeH first!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPkIdqninIO9DWLjBZVD2fZPrhr-ZRx3NvaoLd5JsSu2P8GK6UWl2uuSzW4Dto25504mEJGdHqRoH0AdqWk0SwFtvQNw6Q1HjKMztuiBk1U0a_hqEr5i7QNyi74Mpwyuy8hmbnBukA-aU/s1600/image6.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimPkIdqninIO9DWLjBZVD2fZPrhr-ZRx3NvaoLd5JsSu2P8GK6UWl2uuSzW4Dto25504mEJGdHqRoH0AdqWk0SwFtvQNw6Q1HjKMztuiBk1U0a_hqEr5i7QNyi74Mpwyuy8hmbnBukA-aU/s1600/image6.jpeg" height="280" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Santa (John Bamber) and his elf (Stu Smith) - thanks for the pics guys. Lovely<br />
to see John on the way up to Grisedale Tarn - Zoe thought the beard was part of<br />
a Santa outfit!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFNVHHZQKZLtDTHk_Uejxi2H7mjMHQDZPKbEqHye1GTdeUmXSAI7ag-qhSRBHsujM6Lv00KutUb4ogS_4qt73EPbhSdyd7X6p42qjxqtuk0Rk3-X7EEBZ0Kx3u4dsNMu0XoOaezOVySIG/s1600/image7.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQFNVHHZQKZLtDTHk_Uejxi2H7mjMHQDZPKbEqHye1GTdeUmXSAI7ag-qhSRBHsujM6Lv00KutUb4ogS_4qt73EPbhSdyd7X6p42qjxqtuk0Rk3-X7EEBZ0Kx3u4dsNMu0XoOaezOVySIG/s1600/image7.jpeg" height="367" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Back at the shack. We ran in the last three miles fairly hard hence the pose!</td></tr>
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<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Jim Tinnionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09114544290502136378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990110376760143351.post-30271103920166353182014-10-21T06:59:00.003-07:002014-10-21T06:59:57.722-07:00100 Miles Sud de France - 10/10/2014<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ZF27mE_pSQY0ltW0wEwvmf2jxfh718Ni0YCk_U1blfrUz4TbVYhBPev-OBGE2V_gtS1vHdglwXKADVtuPYjI5kNiA6KzDjxEjdn8FghIaIagnVIOzbKbzQIFAjWjUrDdneZ7D8zH4ZeJ/s1600/lamapix_10025009.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6ZF27mE_pSQY0ltW0wEwvmf2jxfh718Ni0YCk_U1blfrUz4TbVYhBPev-OBGE2V_gtS1vHdglwXKADVtuPYjI5kNiA6KzDjxEjdn8FghIaIagnVIOzbKbzQIFAjWjUrDdneZ7D8zH4ZeJ/s1600/lamapix_10025009.jpg" height="265" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running down into Pyrenees 200 an hour into the event</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
For this year's foreign race I picked the new 100 Miles Sud de France race. It's got a very simple premise. Start at the French Athletics Federation's altitude training base at Font-Romeu (that's where Paula Radcliffe lives) and run east along the GR10 trail to the sea. Nice.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
My aim was to run with Zoe at a very comfortable pace with a view to getting some tough miles in before the Spine. We'd be relaxed about it and just see how far we could get.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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The first 20km were fairly standard for a continental race, nice easy trails and softish ground which let the 324 runners in the field spread out a bit. We passed the altitude training camp after a mile's steady climb and then it was gently downhill through the resort of Pyrenees 2000 and on more nice trails to reach the Citadel (castle) at Mont-Louis. There we joined the GR10, and a bit of up and down led us to Plan ès, the first feed station. To be honest the food at intermediate checkpoints was very disappointing with just a few cakes and so on, and we ended up relying almost wholly on what we were carrying.</div>
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Planès marked the start of the mountainous ground. We slowed to a steady walk and started the warm-up climb. This two-parter took us up 400m to a traversing path at the 1,900m level which went along one side of a valley through very rough and boggy pasture and past a heard of cows. We crossed the river and passed an informal aid station at Refuge de Riberola before descending slightly on better ground to 1,600m and the start of the the big climb to Col Mitja. This started easily enough on a good 4x4 track and we spent the time chatting away to a lovely gentleman from Brittany. Just before dark (so about 4.5 hours in) it started to rain. I guessed from those around us that it might be quite heavy and so we put our cags on and continued up into gathering gloom. After a long climb (the top's at about 2,360m, so there was 960m of ascent here) we were heartened by a small group of local supporters who were whooping and banging drums up on the col.</div>
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I was pleased I wasn't hanging about up there as we ran steadily down a rough track into the next valley. I felt a little cold, especially as I was waiting for Zoe occasionally as she descends a little more tentatively than me in the dark. Anyway we were soon down at the Refuge de Ras de Carança, where we were able to get inside out of the rain and put our power stretch fleeces on. There was a little food here (although it was only advertised as a water point) and we got some cheesy biscuits and some Genoa cake down as we hiked on.</div>
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The next section was a flattish but very rough yomp on sometimes indistinct paths through trees to reach the foot of the climb to Col de Pal. Bottom to top this was a bit less severe than Mitja, with 470m of ascent. At the top of the col there was another group of supporters, so we thanked them and passed on up - this is one of several places where the GR10 climbs to a col and then carries on at high level, sometimes climbing, across a hillside to cross a ridge. The path was good again here and we had soon crossed Serre de Caret and were descending steeply towards the valley. We weren't making great time as Zoe again struggled with the terrain in the darkness. The descent became less steep as we neared the valley bottom and turned to do the final 3 km to the checkpoint at Mantet. As we crossed the river we stopped to take off our cags. The village seemed quite a long way away up the next hill but in reality we were passing the first building in five minutes. We stopped for a moment to photograph a striking black and yellow lizard which we found in the lane. It must have been cold - certainly the lizard didn't seem up for any rapid movements.</div>
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The Mantet checkpoint was another where there was supposed to be food, but again there was really only cake and biscuits. Beggars can't be choosers though. We pushed on and started the short climb (250m or so) to the Coll de Mentet. This seemed to zigzag a lot more than on the race map, and dragged on even though we were going quite well again. At the top we passed a marshall and started down a series of tricky paths which repeatedly (and sometimes slightly confusingly) crossed the road, before we finally joined the tarmac for the last few hundred metres to the "Base Vie" (main aid station) in the village of Py. This was at 43.5km and we'd already done 2,220m of ascent (D+) and 2,970m of descent (D-). I checked the cut-off on arrival and we were told 3:30am - "good", I thought, "we've plenty of time to regroup".</div>
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We took a while to strip off wet stuff and change socks etc. I dressed my foot as I had a blister (probably from some gravel - otherwise my RaceUltras were supremely comfortable and surprisingly grippy). We ate a bowl of plain penne with a little cheese and had some noodle soup. Yet again though there were no hot drinks. I was seriously in need of a tea or coffee... We were suddenly brought round as the checkpoint lady told us there was ten minutes to the exit cut-off. This was now 3am! I'm not sure how this happened, but basically we had to get the hell out of Dodge without the brief snooze I'd been looking forward to.</div>
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We got out PDQ and started the next section, climbing onto and over a ridge on very rough tracks and then picking up a good 4x4 track to climb the final 2km to the Marailles Refuge. I was out on my feet at this stage, falling asleep whilst still walking (or staggering) upwards. Zoe snapped me back round a few times and eventually I popped a Pro Plus and checked the map. Nearly there, so I just kept plodding. There was a Gendarmerie van at the top (quick scan of the chip in our numbers) but more importantly the refuge was very close by. We got in there but I was too tired to eat. Zoe sat in front of a roaring open fire while I went upstairs and lay down for fifteen minutes. I don't think I slept but I did close my eyes and get off my feet for fifteen minutes which helped.</div>
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We grabbed a cup of bouillon each and then started off towards the next checkpoint. Pretty much straight away we were on a rising traversing path which alternately crossed boulder fields and then went through sections with lots of wet tree routes and rocks sticking up from the surface. It was impossible to make quick progress. The gradient eased but even on the level we were doing well to make 3-4 km/h. It got light as we crossed a river barely 4km on from the refuge, having been moving for well over an hour.</div>
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We then followed the GR10 on a contouring path around the west side of Pic Canigou. The path was up and down, mostly on either very rocky ground or across boulder field, for the next 5km before dropping down in a beautiful but extremely rough corrie. I had another sleepy spell here and had to resort to another Pro Plus in the absence of any other caffeine source. We made slow but steady progress, leapfrogging a nice French guy who was quicker than us on the flat bits and downhills but much slower on the climbs. Eventually we walked onto a decent 4x4 track and reached the Bonne Aigue checkpoint, just as the morning sunshine hit it. We didn't stop.</div>
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On from here there was a steep climb up a ridge to regain the height lost down the corrie. I was going well now and set the pace, leading Zoe and the French dude on up. At just above the 2,000m contour we turned and began to traverse right handed again, on familiarly poor ground, eventually reaching a point where we could see a small lake and the French Alpine Club hut at Cortalets in front of us. We'd discussed the time situation on the way over but felt we should press on in the hope the ground would become easier and we could make the cut-off at the next Base Vie at Arles-sur-Tech. I texted our friends who were supporting us to let them know we would be later than anticipated but were still going.</div>
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Fifteen minutes later we arrived at the checkpoint. The staff told us we were the last in the race (actually I knew there was at least one guy behind us). There must have been a lot drop out behind us already as we hadn't been passed by many and there were lots behind us descending to Mantet, but maybe they'd fallen foul of the moveable Py cut-off? The staff were keen for us to drop here, promising transport to the finish would be leaving shortly.</div>
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I had a brief chat with Zoe. She wasn't really enjoying the terrain and was afraid that we would not be able to do the 22km to Arles in the 4.5 hours we had available before the Arles cut-off and have a meaningful rest / refuel when we got there. I couldn't really see the point of flogging ourselves down to Arles. It was 2,000m of descent more to put in our legs, and we probably wouldn't be in a state to continue even if we got in and out of the checkpoint in time. I could probably have speeded up a fair bit if I'd gone on alone, but I didn't want to abandon Zoe (I'm the French speaker) and so we decided to drop together. We'd covered 66km (4,000m D+ and 3,630m D-) in around 21 hours. Little more than 3km/h, but then that's perfect practise for the Spine Race! What's more there were a lot of positives to take from the event and no real negatives - I'd be able to train again almost immediately, rather than suffering the usual post-hundred 6 week layoff.</div>
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There was a bit of a cock up with vehicles etc., and in fact we would probably have been better to run out to Arles as we had to wait nearly four hours for a lift to Argeles, but otherwise the event was well organised and I would come again. Any miscalculation was mine in underestimating the difficulty of the terrain and the effect that would have on Zoe's pace...</div>
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We had a great time in France thanks to Keith and Pauline (Mercia stalwarts) who moved out to Foix in Spring and opened their house to us for the week, also supporting us on the event.</div>
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Jim Tinnionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09114544290502136378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990110376760143351.post-51792850502416153682014-09-23T09:33:00.000-07:002014-09-23T09:33:44.720-07:00Update - 23/09/2014It's been ages since I posted on here - six months in fact.<br />
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Since then I raced at Clee Hill and then ran round the Long Mynd Valleys with Zoe, raced the Pendle Champs race and Cribyn.<br />
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But four fell races for the year is a fairly low return - mostly because we have been ultra running and mountain marathoning again.<br />
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The MM's completed to date are:<br />
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2013 RAB - short score<br />
2014 Dark Mountains - short score<br />
2014 Saunders - Kirkfell class<br />
2014 Marmot24<br />
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In addition we did the Great Lakeland 3 Day together which is a bit of a crossover between mountain marathon and ultra stage race, with easier navigation but longer days. We managed to complete the Elite route on the Saturday and the Monday, but Zoe's knee was injured midway through Saturday so in foul weather on the Sunday we decided to cut from the Elite to the B course to stay off the highest fells.<br />
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In Ultra stuff we DNF'ed the LDWA100 in hideous wet cold conditions on the May Bank Holiday weekend, but neither of us were that bothered as we'd been round it all at Easter on some enjoyable reccie runs. It was a shame for Zoe though, she was moving really comfortably whilst I got so cold I had to stop. Lesson learned - your layering solution has to trap warm air NEXT TO THE SKIN so it's no good wearing a baggy fleece.<br />
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We slipped the WOW50 (Wenlock Olympian Walk) in between the Saunders and the Marmot 24, so July was a pretty heavy month) and I found that pretty hard going in pouring rain but on a hot day for the first 25 (including running virtually past our doorstep). The second 25 was in wet fields then on the railway path through Ironbridge, and mostly I just tried to keep up with Zoe. She dragged me round in the end to a 50 mile PB of about 12:10 (we stopped at just on 50 to find headtorches) and an ultimate finish for the 51 miles of 12:30.<br />
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Next up we have the RAB (long score this time) which we're treating as a final back to back long run in our training for 100 Miles Sud de France.<br />
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I was trying to put together a list of the Ultras I've done now just so I don't forget any!<br />
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2011 (Oct) - Long Mynd Hike 50 mile (13:05)<br />
2011 (Dec) - Tour de Helvellyn DNF after 20 miles<br />
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2012 (Feb) - Pilgrim's Challenge 2 x 50k <br />
2012 (May) - Ultra Brecon 40 mile<br />
2012 (Jul) - WOW 50 mile (via Lawley and Clee Hill)<br />
2012 (Aug) - <a href="http://midlands-fell.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/ccc-race.html" target="_blank">CCC</a> (shortened to 87km in horrible conditions)<br />
2012 (Dec) - <a href="http://midlands-fell.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/tour-de-helvellyn-22122012.html" target="_blank">Tour de Helvellyn</a> 67/148 in 9:05<br />
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2013 (May) - <a href="http://midlands-fell.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/marlborough-downs-challenge-12052013.html" target="_blank">Marlborough Downs Challenge</a> 50k in 6:41<br />
2013 (May) - <a href="http://midlands-fell.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/ldwa-hundred-25-and-26062013.html" target="_blank">LDWA Camel-Teign Ivor's Dream 100</a> mile in 33:52<br />
2013 (Jun) - <a href="http://midlands-fell.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/three-rings-of-shap-100k-15-and-16062013.html" target="_blank">Three Rings of Shap</a> 100k; 35/89 in 19:32 <br />
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2014 (May) - LDWA Valleys 100 mile (DNF after 43 miles)<br />
2014 (May) - GL3D Elite Day 1 - 50k<br />
2014 (Jul) - WOW 50 mile (via Wrekin and Bridgnorth) 8/97 in 12:30<br />
<br />Jim Tinnionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09114544290502136378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990110376760143351.post-27806670757485197842014-01-27T14:27:00.000-08:002014-01-27T14:33:48.429-08:00Marmot Dark Mountains - 25 to 26/01/2014<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
So, Marmot Dark Mountains. Probably the ultimate test of fell running navigation, this event is two day mountain marathon rolled into one night, and just to make it a little more tricky, it's in January.<u></u></div>
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I’d entered Zoe and myself as a mixed pair in the short score class after hearing about the first edition of the event. We knew it would be a big challenge and had spent a couple of months getting fit (or at least fitter) and doing some navigation practise. My objectives were:<u></u><u></u></div>
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<u></u>1.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span><u></u>Survive;<u></u><u></u></div>
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<u></u>2.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span><u></u>Stay out for the full time (or near enough);<u></u><u></u></div>
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<u></u>3.<span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 7pt;"> </span><u></u>Get a reasonable placing (top half in our class).<u></u><u></u></div>
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...but much more importantly to learn a bit more about route planning and also executing navigational legs. I’m a kind of learn by doing (and mostly by making mistakes) person, so most of my preparation was mental practise of the navigation – selecting a leg on a previous event and asking myself how I would navigate it, in poor weather and visibility and in the dark. Really this boils down to what handles (linear features like fences, paths, streams, escarpment edges) I would use to get close to the control, and how I would select my attack points (the feature at which you leave the handle to head off on a compass bearing to the control). Generally this stood me in good stead, although there were controls without decent attack points on the course.<u></u><u></u></div>
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I didn’t do enough route planning practise beforehand. This is specific to score courses and adds an additional layer of complexity to the event. Each checkpoint is assigned a score on the map, and you need to be able to identify a rough route around (some of) the various controls on offer to maximise your score over the event. For Dark Mountains the controls ranged in value from 5 to 40 points. We were warned that the high value checkpoints were high scoring for a reason – remoteness, horrible terrain, or navigational difficulty. Generally on a night event or in poor visibility (or both, as we had for an hour or two) it’s wise to avoid controls which are point features (say a small pond or an isolated building, maybe a cairn in a relatively featureless flat area).<u></u><u></u></div>
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Anyway the event map was handed to us as we started at 22:02, and we went straight to somewhere sheltered to plan our route. There were basically two routes options from the start and these would be the options for the return to the finish too. We opted for the northern option, visiting low scoring controls in an abandoned quarry area which would lead us round to the Pennine Way path north of Bleaklow. We could then use this path to guide us over the summit via another couple of low scoring checkpoints and into an area of mid-scoring controls east of the summit of Snake Pass. The plan was then to cross the Snake Road and head into the valley of Ashop Clough, visiting two mid scoring checkpoints on the north side, or, if there was time, three or four higher scoring checkpoints on the northern edge of Kinder Scout before finishing via the Pennine Way back to Snake Pass and down Doctor’s Gate to the start. This plan survived intact for about the first third of the event!<u></u><u></u></div>
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We reached the checkpoints in the quarry easily enough, walking steadily up the hills and walk/jogging the flatter sections, and got to PK with 25 points in the bag after 1:09, and no navigational errors. We descended NE from the control to pick up the Pennine Way, but had a minor delay as we saw something we thought was the path but turned out to be a track to some grouse butts about 100 yards short of the main path. This was probably the main story of the night for me navigationally – I just kept coming up short, thinking we’d covered more ground than we had. I think it was a combination of the terrain, our pace over it, and the darkness, but we just weren’t making the distance we usually do per stride. Anyway we rached the Pnnine Way and I realised we could take in an extra control, RE, for only an extra 200m of distance by diverting off the path at an obvious fenceline, crossing Torside Clough, and heading for the fence on the ridge just north west of the control. This worked out ok if a bit rough, but we’d climbed into thick mist at around the 550m contour.<u></u><u></u></div>
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I wasn’t too worried by the mist because if we followed our fence about a kilometre we’d meet the Pennine Way again which would take us right to the next control at the 633m summit of Bleaklow Head. We reached the point where the fence should have been adjacent to the Pennine Way, but I couldn’t identify the path. The visibility was around 5m to 10m and we just couldn’t positively ID the path. Instead I got the best fix I could on our location by checking the alignment of the curving fence and set a bearing which should take us straight to Bleaklow summit (the “summit” might be difficult to find as it’s actually just the highest point of a area of land about 2km x 1km all above 615m). This should have been safe as the paths shown approach from NW and NE in a “V” – if we missed the summit but reached a path I could check its direction quickly and identify which way to turn along it. From the map I thought it was around 300m to the control so we paced out 350 paces, then 400. 500 then 600 passed and I started to think we’d overshot. There as a slight clearing in the mist which revealed torches in front of and above us, and so we continued on in the hope these were close to the CP – it’s the highest point after all so going uphill did make some sense. We came out about 50m south of the summit, realised it was that way to the control from the voices around us in the mist, and made it. I have no idea even now, having checked the GPS track, why it seemed so far from the fence to the control. As we came back we met two teams on the B course who were looking for our next control, SR. They’d been looking for a considerable amount of time...<u></u><u></u></div>
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We now had 40 points and had been going for 2hr40. I was pretty shaken by the experience really. We headed south along the Pennine Way which should take us within 150m of the next control, SR, which was at Wain Stones, a location I’ve visited before. The map didn’t show an awful lot of detail for an attack point but it seemed that if we headed around 600m along the Pennine Way there would be a sharp left turn on the path which we could use. We spent a lot of time here walking slowly and trying to ensure we were still on the path – it’s very clear and well defined in daylight, but in very poor visibility in the dark all you can see is peat and heather. We reached what we thought was the attack point and took a bearing to the control, heartened when we heard celebrations from the direction we were headed. But there was no control and Zoe thought she heard the voices say it was a false alarm. We quickly decided we weren’t going to spend lots of time searching for a 5 point control and that orienteering in the mist was almost impossible. Checking the GPS we’d come up short again, turning off the Pennine Way about 200m before we should have.<u></u><u></u></div>
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We now headed down SE on the Pennine Way, stopping frequently to check we were still on the path. We met another pair and checked our locations. I was more sure than they were, and I was right, soon enough we met the Hern Clough stream and then climbed away from it to a knoll at 578m. This was on my map and was my attack point for control PT. It was clearer but still not great visibility here. I was shaken by the difficulty of hitting even low scoring point controls on Bleaklow. This was probably the only point at which I made a genuinely poor decision. We finally accurately knew exactly where we were again 40 minutes after leaving Bleaklow summit. But the checkpoint I was aiming for, PT, was a small pond 750m away. There was only a boundary with a couple of slight angles shown on the map to use as an attack point. What if the mist closed in again? What if the boundary was a broken wall and we walked straight through it? I knew the Pennine Way path got more distinct further down, and that we could access the mid-scoring controls on the north edge of Kinder via Snake Pass and another very distinct section of Pennine Way. And I thought we could extend if we had time, or run up the Snake Road if we were in danger of being late. But from where we were this would mean doing a figure-8 with very little in the way of points along the fast running section of the Pennine Way, or on the run-in.<u></u><u></u></div>
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Anyway we finally got a bit of momentum, dropped down out of the mist and reached control BA (5 more points taking our total to a massive 45!) which was at the crossing point of our figure-8. We stopped for a moment to finalise the re-plan. We’d used nearly half of our time so we’d need to get a shufty on but we could run to Mill Hill, control KM, then along the northern edges as I’d thought up at the knoll (GQ – HK – AQ) and then down from Fairbrook Naze to the river junction between Ashop Clough and Lady Clough (control DY on the footbridge over Lady Clough), with a short section of forest to bring us to the support point, control AI. From there I planned to either pick up PJ and PT and drop into Doctor’s Gate and the final control FE to finish, or to head up the A57 road to the Doctor’s Gate path if we were short of time to speed up the finish.<u></u><u></u></div>
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Progress on the slabs across Featherbed Moss to Mill Hill was fairly quick, although Zoe and I both put our feet between slabs a couple of times where the gaps were hidden by black peaty standing water. Zoe took a nasty tumble at one point and battered her knee. We reached Mill Hill easily enough and dibbed the control, then had a rapid ascent to the next checkpoint, a knoll with boulders at the 600m contour on the extreme NW corner of the Kinder Plateau. Zoe located the control quickly and we moved on having claimed our first 20 pointer of the night, a mere 4hr36 after starting. We were going to have to move quickly now, but the terrain was sapping – there was a generally obvious path, but it ran through peaty hags and there were frequent rocky steps too. Zoe was struggling a little, her confidence dented a bit by her earlier fall and the difficulty of the ground.<u></u><u></u></div>
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We were now aiming for control HK, a stream junction about 100m SE of the Edge, just before an obvious nose contour feature. I guessed 20 minutes of running from the boulders – it was about 2km. We found the stream, there seemed to be a nose. The stream seemed to flow over the Edge in the right direction. We headed upstream to find the control – first 100m then 200m with no joy. It couldn’t be this far in. We came across a little dam of stones across one of the tiny tributaries. We’d been warned to stay off the plateau as there are 600 new dams as part of a National Trust restoration project. They are re-wetting the plateau to help re-establish vegetation lost through years of over-grazing, but for runners in the dark, the bogs this has created could be extremely hazardous. So we went carefully back down the stream and checked another tributary. No control here either. I went back to the very lip of the Edge and realised that the direction of the gully I’d noted earlier had been an illusion. It headed north, not northwest. We were at the wrong stream. Again my distance estimation, this time based on travel time, had proved wrong. We were looking in Upper Red Brook and the control was in Nether Red Brook. There were other clues on the map too, if I’d taken more time to look at it and less time running around searching for the control. When we got to the right stream,, having wasted probably 25 minutes at the wrong one, the control was obvious and exactly as shown.<u></u><u></u></div>
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I checked the time, knowing we were down on where I’d wanted to be. We did have my final ace in the hole – a very rapid in route from the support point – 2.5km of road and 5.5km of easy path. 8km. Even tired and with hills we should be able to make that in just over an hour. I figured we’d need another ten minutes to divert to and find control FE (off the path on the way in) for an easy five points. So we needed to be at AI, the support point, with an hour and a half to go. We were short of time, but not desperate. Any chance of either looping to FY or doing PJ and PT had evaporated though – it was pretty much a race to the line.<u></u><u></u></div>
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We ran as hard as we could for another km along the Edge to control AQ (finally a high scoring 25 pointer!). Now we had 110 points, but we only had 2hr14 left. We hunted for the way off the cliffs of Fairbrook Naze for a couple of minutes, back and fore, before I saw the start of the trod. A little scrambling and we were running down steep ground on a muddy track. It was a bit faint, and it bent to the NE just as shown. We persevered as the path faded just as the map promised, then I set a bearing for 100m W (left) of the river junction we were aiming for. There was a flatter section of moor covered in deep heather and cut by several deep drainage channels we had to scramble in and out of, then the very aptly name “Rough Bank” down to the river.<u></u><u></u></div>
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Zoe came up trumps here, battered by another fall and very tired, but she just waded in and crossed with no real qualms. The control was on the footbridge 100m downstream just as expected. There were taped markers on the next leg up through the forest to the support point. We ran most of this. It would have been pretty under other circumstances but now we were on a mission. We reached the checkpoint and the welcome sight of several marshalls with 6hr26 on our clock. We could make it to the finish without having to push too hard! Somewhere deep in my subconscious though, I had a doubt. I check with the marshall that we could use the road, and was crestfallen to hear the reply – he pointed out the clearly marked uncrossable boundary. The forest itself wasn’t marked out of bounds, but no, if we used the road we’d cross a “barrier” and we’d be DQ’ed. I’d wondered why there was a control at JW, just a hundred metres (and 60m of climbing) north of the support point. Now I knew why – it was to ensure that folks heading north left the forest by the correct route. My heart fell as I tried to explain to Zoe that we’d have to climb to JW (only 5 extra points) and then contour along the edge of the forest and drop back down onto the road. No fast running!<u></u><u></u></div>
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And it was horrible. The climb wasn’t too bad, in fact we gained ground on a pair in front of us, but the traverse was dreadful. There was a faint trod, probably just what had been levelled by the forestry workers erecting the fence. But we were off balance, forced into the side slope by the barbed wire fence. The hillside was rough and tussock and no better further up. This was a dreadful 1.5km, and all the time we knew we needed to push. Eventually it was over. Zoe had another fall heading down to the road and I could tell she was pretty much done in. I didn’t feel much better. To cap it all it was around 4:45, the time when I feel lowest on my overnight runs. We got on the road. Zoe speeded up a bit, as I’d expected. Suddenly I was the one who couldn’t keep up. We dragged ourselves the kilometre up the road to the point we’d divert onto the Doctor’s Gate path which would take us the remaining 6.5km to the finish. We had about 50 minutes. We weren’t going to make it.<u></u><u></u></div>
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We passed control BA at the top of the path, not dibbing as we’d done that three hours earlier before the Kinder loop. Almost straightaway I knew we were really in trouble. I could run this path, but Zoe’s legs were shot. We played tag with another couple of pairs on the way down the steep, rough, boggy track. Eventually they headed off to visit control FE, but for us there was no time.<br />
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When we reached the valley bottom we had 3km to cover on better paths but only 16 minutes left. We could travel side by side here, so I let Zoe catch up and started to jog, then run. I didn’t need to tell her how far we had to go or how much time there was, we were going as fast as we possibly could. Through a couple of gates, over a stile. A smoother section of track, and then I could see the factory and the lights around the finish area. We passed two photographers. Then I could see the finish tent.<br />
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Finally we had made it in. I checked the watch. Were we on time? Maybe. Maybe a minute or so over, but there wouldn’t be a huge penalty at least. We’d put two 8:30 miles together on a rough farm track, carrying five to ten kilos of kit at the end of an eight hour run. It’d have to do.<u></u><u></u></div>
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The finish staff were brilliant: hot sugary tea pressed into my hand, a brief interview into an iPhone, offers of biscuits and sympathy. Ten minutes to gather myself and then a walk back to the event centre. Zoe seemed more composed and more ready to get back there.<u></u><u></u></div>
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At the event centre, we were greeted by both the course planner and the event organiser. We handed over our dibbers and got the download print out. We'd finished in 8:01:13 and lost 6 points for being just over a minute late! Despite this at the time of our download 119 points was good enough for 3rd of the 12 who finished. </div>
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Equipped with tickets for a free cooked breakfast at Glossop Cafeteria (very nice), we dossed down in a squash court for 45 minutes. Breakfast was good. We stayed for the presentation where Adrian Moir and Ellie Salisbury took the mixed pairs prize (but we got a Marmot hat each), then said our goodbyes and headed off.</div>
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Results went up on SPORTident later in the day and we found to our delight we'd finished fifth of the twenty teams, and second mixed pair.</div>
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This was a great event and is highly recommended for experienced mountain marathoners. You need to know how to look after yourself in the hills and to have an almost bombproof ability to navigate and to relocate.</div>
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Next year I'll be back, and I'll find a better route option and have sussed out the distance estimation... Half an hour with the map in the warm and the dry today identified a 240 point route which was 1km shorter than our 125 pointer. If we'd got even close to that we'd have won.</div>
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A big thank you to Shane Ohly and all his team. I'm looking forward to the Marmot 24 already, and I'll hopefully be back for Dark Mountains 2015.</div>
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[Pics, map and results to follow…]</div>
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Jim Tinnionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09114544290502136378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990110376760143351.post-12561034674138278982014-01-27T14:13:00.000-08:002014-01-27T14:13:32.794-08:00RAB Mountain Marathon 28-29/09/2013<div dir="ltr">
Zoe and I had a great time on our first full two day Mountain Marathon, despite Zoe feeling unwell all day on Saturday and not being in great form on Sunday either. </div>
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Neither of us had managed much consistent training over the previous month due to a house move falling across two of the three weekend before the event. We were going to have a bit of practise on a short break in Scotland but that landed between the move weekends and we were so shattered all we ended up doing was a single climb most of the way up Ben Cruachan.</div>
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Anyway the RAB is a little unusual amongst mountain marathons in only offering score courses, where you get a map with the checkpoints marked and a table with the checkpoint details and point scores for each checkpoint. You have to come up with a route which collects the maximum points score for each day within the time limit. </div>
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We arrived at the car park (a field near Stair in Newlands Valley in the NW Lakes) in good time, having stopped the night before at a nearby Travelodge. Registration was at the Stair Outdoor Centre. We got kitted up and sorted out, bought the excellent T shirts and dropped them back at the car and prepared to start. </div>
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The start's straightforward, when you're ready go to the staging marshall who will hand you a map and the checkpoints list as you dib in the start control box. Then, with a choice of two paths immediately leading to two different checkpoints, it was straight on the deck for a bit of planning. </div>
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Zoe had said she wasn't feeling great so I tried to plot a route which would get us going with some fairly easy running but pick up a reasonable number of points to start. The overnight camp was at Rannerdale and there were really two main options: <br />
(1) work along the north side of Buttermere on the slopes of Dale Head, Hindscarth and Robinson, then cross the Newlands road to reach the overnight camp; and <br />
(2) get over Honister pass to a group of checkpoints between Borrowdale and Fleetwith Pike, then potentially along the south side of Buttermere or over High Stile to drop into Buttermere village and on to Rannerdale.</div>
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Possibly incorrectly I felt there probably weren't enough CPs or points on offer with option (1) so the first decision I made was to head over Honister. I could see there were groups of checkpoints along the Maiden Moor ridge and up the valley parallel to it, both leading to a couple of CPs on the shoulder of Dale Head and on to Honister. This wasn't a bad decision, we could have got the same points total staying north of Buttermere with less distance and climbing but (barring one mistake I'll come to) the same number of points than we ultimately ended up with, but we could not have managed to get more, whereas there were plenty of options on the chosen plan to have picked up more points.</div>
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So we were looking at options to get over to Honister. It was clear we would do a CP at Launchy Tarn (CP5 - 20 pts) and one on the BG climb below Dale Head (15 pts) on either route before dropping down to Honister. There was a low option, skiting under Catbells and Maiden Moor and climbing the valley up to Dale Head Tarn and then CP5, and a higher option starting with a short sharp climb to a CP just the far side of the Catbells ridge, then over Maiden Moor and High Spy to CP5. The low option would score 80 points to Honister and the higher option 85 points. With the small difference in mind and wanting to stay comfortable and warm to start with, not to mention letting Zoe ease into it a bit, we went for the low option. I missed a little combo which would have meant we could incorporate CP2 into the high option for an extra 10 points at the cost of very little distance and only about 60m of climbing, which might have swayed me to the high option. </div>
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I felt this was enough planning and started to move off, taking the low path under Catbells for fast running to our first CP, by a stream in Yewthwaite Combe. There was a little group by this CP so it was easily located and we dibbed and moved on gently down the combe to CP47 above Little Town. I lost us a couple of minutes here as the CP was labelled 147 and I wasn't familiar with the three digit codes used by the SI timing system, so thought it might be a safety control or something else - it was where it was shown on the map but for some reason I thought it wasn't right. Anyway we sussed it out and moved on. </div>
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Running up the valley past Low Snab I realised that Zoe wasn't entirely happy. We talked it through and she felt that I hadn't spent enough time planning, hadn't really involved her and hadn't communicated the plan properly. Probably guilty on all three counts, I apologised and we picked up the pace a bit to an easily found checkpoint on a footbridge under Scope End. So much of pairs running is to do with the relationship and mood between the runners in the pair. Zoe had felt like she was just being dragged along, she wasn't feeling too great anyway and not surprisingly she wasn't really moving that well until we got things aired.</div>
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The next CP was a cleft / sheepfold under the disused Dale Head Copper Mines. We both did a bit of the nav, checking we'd picked up the correct trod as we crossed the river and climbing diagonally right. We then contoured a little and dropped right in on the cleft, although it took us a moment to realise that it was a mining feature which had been converted into a sheepfold and the control was actually hidden from view until we were right next to the wall it was behind. </div>
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The next section was probably the poorest line we got all weekend. We had to cut back across the valley to pick up the main path which would take us up to Dale Head Tarn. The map wasn't brilliantly clear but it does (on very close scrutiny) show a good line up to the west of the crag called Great Gable. We took a more contouring line and ended up scrambling on slippery slabs just under the crag which was very slow. As we worked our way up through the crags a guy ambled up a grassy rake which was on the map but not easily visible from below. On this occasion trying to get back on a path quickly had backfired on us and the much the better option was a direct(ish) line. Anyway once past the crags we found a fairly easy river crossing and got back on the track, following it until we were level with Dalehead Tarn. I took a bearing towards the Launchy Tarn CP, aiming off 100m to the north so we would hit and could follow a fence in towards the CP. Converging with a lot of runners who'd taken the high route, I could have got away with following the crowd rather than aiming off. Five minutes of climbing and we were there. </div>
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The next leg over to the CP on the Bob Graham Dale Head climb was pretty fast and straightforward and we were almost bang on the CP, although I have to admit I was lazy here and relied more on the large number of runners around to be able to work out the CP location than on the map and compass. It was a fairly easy run down to Honister. Zoe descended quite quickly, but I realised a bit later there was a price to pay. In the meantime I was struggling with the Speedcross - I'd got my feet wet on the crossing from Launchy Tarn and now on the descent the footbed in the right shoe was moving around and creasing up. Since the RAB I've heard of other people with this problem - it seems like a design faulty and I think I'll test some UHU on them and try to glue them in. I had the same problem for the rest of the MM, but as Zoe generally descends a little slower than I do it wasn't too big a deal, I just had to keep stopping and straightening things out. </div>
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From Honister we had the next big route choice. I was working on this on the descent but should have looked at it more carefully on the way up or even at the start. There were five checkpoints between Honister and the next major decision point on our route, Scarth Gap. CP14, on the ridge down from Grey Knotts to Seatoller looked like an outlier, and CP15, near the summit of Grey Knotts, was at nearly 700m. </div>
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Kit List: </div>
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Terra Nova Superlight Solar 2.2 Tent - excellent: very stable, roomy for the weight, warm (with a foil blanket under the groundsheet) and with two entrances and decent sized porches - thanks to Arthur Clare-Hay for the loan. </div>
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OMM rucsacs - I had the Classic 32L and Zoe the Classic 25L. They were just the right size for our kit as neither of us had particularly small packing sleeping bags and the tent pack size and weight were a little heavier than some might use. Zoe had a little chafing but is less used to a rucsac than me. I found mine pretty comfortable and didn't really notice the weight too much. </div>
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Sleeping bags - Zoe had a synthetic, I had a North Face down one. Both 3 season and fairly bulky and heavy. It wasn't a cold night but neither of us needed much in the way of clothes and I slept with the zip undone. We could save weight and bulk here quite easily in future. </div>
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Sleeping mats - just the mats from the OMM rucsacs which double as the back padding. They were fine. </div>
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Stove and gas - a no-name gas burner, a single medium pan from an aluminium pan set, with the handle, lighter and spare lighter and a 250g cylinder (too big I think). Foil for a lid and a windbreak, plastic spoon each, foldable plastic mug each. We ate direct from the dehyde pouches. </div>
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Food - three dehydrated main courses, two puddings, two breakfasts. I think we could cut this down by a pudding and a breakfast. Also various cereal bars (Eat Natural, Nutrigrain) and some nuts. Forgot S-Caps which we should really have had, and took too many bars. Some spare bags for feet after sock change / rubbish. </div>
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Compass - both on standard Silva Rangers, I could do with a new one with a smoother bezel and a quick settling needle. The event map was supplied with an A3 sealable clear bag which was too big for my taste. Next time I'll bring A4 ones instead and not pick up the bag supplied. </div>
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Headtorch - Lenser H7 for me, Alpkit for her. Both light, not really needed much except for late night loo trip. </div>
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Clothes (for him) - Quechua base layer, Haglos Stem II Fleece, Craft full weight running tights, inov-8 socks (ok but wear very quickly), Salomon Speedcross 3 shoes (victory of comfort over suitability really, if it had been wet it would have been x-talons), Berghaus Goretex Active Cag (more breathable and warmer than the racing cag), Montane Atomic overtrousers, spare tech T, spare socks (Hilly monoskin trail anklet with x-static which are expensive but hard wearing and very comfy), buff, extremities windstopper gloves. I could have got away with shorts or 3/4 tights but would have had to carry full length tights anyway. Should have gone for a lighter weight pair but I don't have any. I like the "proper" cag for longer days out - the convenience of pockets and extra warmth / breathability over a racing cag far outweigh the extra 100g. The Speedcross would have been a bad mistake if there'd been much wet / boggy steep terrain but I got away with them. After a summer of only intermittent training I just wasn't sure my feet were strong enough for two days in near-minimal fell shoes. I had small blisters on the outsides of my ankles at the end of day 2 from traversing, but otherwise my feet were cushty. </div>
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Clothes (for her) - Hoglofs base layer, OMM fleece, Nike tights, Karrimor socks, Speedcross 3 shoes, Haglofs Gram cagoule, Pacamac Overtrousers, tech T, buff, gloves. </div>
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Cheat - two pints of milk at mid-camp. We drank one between us as we finished and had the other one with tea and coffee, finishing it in the morning before we set off. The milk lady had brought bottles which was nice because we could wash them out and leave them instead of humping out flattened cartons on day 2. Unlike some others, we did not go to the pub on Saturday night, which is rather against the spirit of it IMHO. </div>
Jim Tinnionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09114544290502136378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990110376760143351.post-70414987387513940972013-10-03T07:21:00.003-07:002013-10-03T07:22:15.469-07:00Marquee Races Weekend - 24 and 25/08/2013A great weekend of racing in Yorkshire and the Lakes...
<p>August Bank Holiday weekend is the peak season for the "Marquee" Fell Races, short and sharp races associated with village shows or sports and often with good cash prizes (not that that concerns me, but it makes sure a lot of elite guys come out and tow us mortals round at a reasonable clip).
<p>Mercia planned a weekend away to the two most classic of these very traditional events: Burnsall Feast and Grasmere Sports, both of which are well covered in "Feet in the Clouds".
<p>Burnsall Classic Fell Race
<p>1.5 miles, 899'
<p>21:01; 57/152
<p>Grasmere Senior Guides Race
<p>1.6 miles, 886'
<p>20:35; 93/195
<p>More details and pics to follow... Jim Tinnionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09114544290502136378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990110376760143351.post-73442300166313196732013-08-19T23:38:00.001-07:002013-08-19T23:38:55.867-07:00Training - 12 to 18/08/2013Wednesday 14/08/2013 - morning<br />
<b>Quickish Cliffe Run</b><br />
0:21, 250' (2.3 miles)<br />
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Grabbed a fairly quick run around the Cliffe just before dawn - beautiful morning with trails of mist in the wide Severn and Dee valleys either side of me and trees poking out above the sea of grey. Lovely sunrise too.<br />
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Thursday 15/08/2013 - evening<br />
<b>Pre-Committee Wrekin Blast</b><br />
0:34, 900' (2.8 miles)<br />
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Squeezed a climbing session out on the Wrekin in between work and Mercia committee. Up the scree gully to Halfway House, down Beeches to the bottom, then up the BMX track and the main path to the summit. Down via my network of tracks on the east face to pick up the main track at the hairpin below Halfway House. Pushed fairly hard tonight, good session, climbing ok. Descended quickly but fairly easy.<br />
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Sunday 18/08/2013 - morning<br />
<b>Nav Coaching</b><br />
0:45, 450' (1.1 miles) - walk<br />
1:05, 1,600' (4.9 miles) - run<br />
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Coached basic nav skills to a group of 12 this morning.
Walk - trip to bottom of Hundred Steps, then Townbrook reservoir and return over hill in Rectory Wood.
Run - relays leg 1, followed this pretty much exactly with Kate W, Steve T and Steve B. Plenty of stops to practise map and compass work. Nice run with some quicker sections. legs a little tired on Yearlet.<br />
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Sunday 18/08/2013 - afternoon<br />
<b>Skyline Reccie</b><br />
2:25, 2,050' (10.4 miles) - slow run<br />
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Cleared up coaching session and went straight over to the other side of Stretton to run a reccie of the second half of the Skyline with Zoe. All fine until Gogbatch, climbing quite well, then suddenly desperately tired and quite low. Dehydrated too. Found our way back to All Stretton via Plush Hill and a bit of the Batch Bash route only to discover the pub was shut. Walked back to Church Stretton along the road. Finally the blind blisters on my heels from the Hundred have moved forward a bit with one blowing up and tearing (the skin underneath is nice an hard though so it should be ok). I thought I'd done the job at Stiperstones, but it's taken another month and the use of an unusual pair of socks!<br />
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<b>Summary</b><br />
5:10, 5,250' (21.5 miles)<br />
Another rather easy week, need to do some proper session planning. Two short relatively quick sessions, but were they hard enough? And was the running on Sunday easy enough? Evidently not in the conditions. Mileage a little low, but a reasonable amount of climbing. Would like to keep climbing >5,000' per week as I have found I go quite well off that. Distance could creep up a bit.<br />
<br />Jim Tinnionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09114544290502136378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990110376760143351.post-4811238335095189572013-08-08T07:55:00.000-07:002013-08-08T07:55:38.755-07:00Training - 22 to 28/07/2013Not much done this week because Zoe arrived back from a month in Africa on Tuesday and I took a few days off to enjoy a bit of time with her. We did however manage to take part in the Gritstone Tryal on Sunday 28th as a first run back for Zoe and a nice steady long run with a nav challenge thrown in for me.<br />
<br />
Friday 26/07/2013 - evening<br />
<strong>MAF Pace Jog</strong><br />
0:31, 300' (3.0 miles)<br />
<br />
Three easy miles around Nesscliffe. A loop round the very outside of the school field is 400m, useful for future reference...<br />
<br />
Sunday 28/07/2013 - morning<br />
<strong>Gritstone Tryal</strong><br />
2:37, 1,650' (11.0 miles)<br />
<br />
The Gritstone Tryal is a navigation event run by Ian Ankers of Staffordshire Moorlands AC. The format is simple - you're given a map with numbered checkpoints marked on it when you arrive and have up to an hour to decide how to get round the checkpoints (in order). The event then commences with a mass start. Zoe and I thought we had plenty of time to sort the route out, but in reality I was still marking my map up with ten minutes to go.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCUTkDaUqNsmKakZZ7ikXHD7v8EYJQujVvj9n7PJEaeLfbJwLkzLYXC-PHp2tN26vAVHQxW7JszrvrFSvLF5ZqkUHckgjlXuaouqWXKkHJdjgMpib70kKFU0cfWKfS7ZZ2rn4j9SIjmATV/s1600/20130729084148252_0001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img bba="true" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCUTkDaUqNsmKakZZ7ikXHD7v8EYJQujVvj9n7PJEaeLfbJwLkzLYXC-PHp2tN26vAVHQxW7JszrvrFSvLF5ZqkUHckgjlXuaouqWXKkHJdjgMpib70kKFU0cfWKfS7ZZ2rn4j9SIjmATV/s640/20130729084148252_0001.jpg" width="451" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Event map - my mark-up in blue</td></tr>
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After a little footwear crisis (correct decision - trail shoes are nice and comfy and fine even on rough bits of the Peak when it hasn't rained much for weeks), we were on the start line and then away. We all took the same (obvious) line to CP1 with a few queues for the dibbers and a pair of kissing gates, then crossed the A53 and split.<br />
<br />
We selected the better line for leg 2 but ruined it with some poor execution, losing the indistinct ROW and being drawn too far round the valley. We came out on the minor road instead of a slightly more major one, I forgot the road width coding on the map and we turned the wrong way to compound the initial error. I thus ended up doing the tough bit of my intended line (first half) and the tough bit of the other line (second half). Never mind.<br />
<br />
Leg 3 was predominately across fields with three shallow valleys to cross. The first sunken lane we used was atrocious, boggy and rough under 3' high reeds. We then had to duck under trees for the next 200m and climb a fence where there was no sign of a stile (near Well Springs Farm). The uphill section to Colshaw was fine, although we use the field adjacent to the sunken lane as it was a lot easier going. We had to be careful across fields near Colshaw not to get drawn off our line by the sight of many other competitors over to our right who'd chosen a hiller but possibly slightly shorter line crossing the valleys a little further downstream. Our next valley crossing was gained by some desperate descending through another scrubby wood with little sign of the ROW on the ground. We found the footbrige OK though and the climb up the next field wasn't too bad. There was no ROW signing after Brand Top and nothing on the ground - a descent on a grassy spur gave onto 250m of hideous bog with neck high reeds: fortunately I found a way through on flattened sections to the final stream crossing. I did manage to get my head up on the way down and had noticed a nice newly mown hayfield roughly where the right hand option was for the final climb to CP3, so we cut across to that leaving some other competitors labouring on much rougher ground and reached CP3 ahead of a few folk.<br />
<br />
The leg to CP4 was obvious and very runnable and we put in a good effort here past the HSE fire testing grounds at Turncliff. There were several burnt out tube carriages over to our left at one point. We also passed Stanley Moor Reservoir. This large rectangular structure was built over underlying material honeycombed by solution holes and caverns and was decommissioned about ten years ago under the supervision of one of my colleagues. The works removed a large wedge of the dam on the east side and used the material to partly fill the impoundment, creating a series of wildlfe pools. CP4 was another manned checkpoint - Ian had driven out here from the event centre to do the honours.<br />
<br />
I'd looked carefully at the leg to CP5 and come up with an option which was about 3 km, mostly on trails. There was a road option which was nearly 4 km but it meant running 2 km along the busy A53 and a less obvious approach to CP5 itself across rough ground so I'd decided there was no advantage in it. Zoe hadn't trained at all while she was in Uganda and she suffered up the climb to the A54, feeling sick and with jelly legs. We slowed right down and I told her not to worry, she'd feel better in a bit. She forced herself to run most of the section over Axe Edge Moor, but we lost about 5 places on this leg. The checkpoint itself was easily found and we had a welcome cup of water there.<br />
<br />
I'd decided to take a direct line from CP5 to CP6 across the moor but after 200m I could tell Zoe was really struggling so we cut back to the fence all our competitors were following and went down that until we were level with a small knoll on the right which was obvious on the map. As the others went straight on on a more circuitous route, Zoe and I took a bearing (which conveniently coincided with Shining Tor, clearly visible to the west) and we walked across rough moorland nearly 1 km and dropped in 50m north of the checkpoint exactly as planned. This meant we'd overtooken all of the guys who'd passed us on the way from CP4, so I was pretty pleased with the leg.<br />
<br />
We had a cunning plan for leg 7 too. The more obvious routes used rights of way across farmland between Blackclough and Knotbury, but they looked navigationally complex, so I'd come up with a line to the west, using a byway which would lead up to the road and thence the checkpoint. As a further refinement we could cut a corner where the track zigzagged down a steep hill and save another 200m. The plan worked perfectly and by CP7 we'd shaken off everyone following except Jackie Keasley from Helsby RC.<br />
<br />
Leg 8 was straightforward up over Wolf Edge and down to a checkpoint on the last wall before Flash vilalage. Even so we lost half our lead ovr Jackie as Zoe and I both missed a stile on our right near the top of the climb and had to backtrack 20m.<br />
<br />
We clipped at CP8 and just had 400m of road running in to the finish, where we found to our surprise that Zoe had won a bottle of wine for finishing 2nd lady! Although the running was pretty comfortable for me I did feel myself getting into it around CP5 and feeling fairly strong.<br />
<br />
A good morning out, great views, a good nav challenge and a decent long run for us both - thank you to Ian and all your helpers.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
I've attached a scan of the event map showing our plan, and the actual route taken is on Strava:</div>
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<iframe allowtransparency="true" frameborder="0" height="405" scrolling="no" src="http://app.strava.com/activities/70457062/embed/82ee6dd79eafb0f1205f552890c80d6d4666e94f" width="590"></iframe></div>
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<br /></div>
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<strong>Summary</strong></div>
<div align="left">
3:08, 1,950' (14.0 miles)</div>
<div align="left">
A much easier week. Nice to spend some time relaxing and to have the practise of navigating under (some) pressure in the Tryal. I need to try to get some more consistency in my training for the next three weeks though...</div>
Jim Tinnionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09114544290502136378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990110376760143351.post-58458673985263256222013-08-02T10:29:00.000-07:002013-08-02T10:29:01.315-07:00Training - 15 to 21/07/2013Monday 15/07/2013 - evening<br />
<strong>MAF Pace Climbing Reps</strong><br />
0:53, 750' (3.5 miles)<br />
<br />
Got out with the dog on a slightly less hot evening. I'm trying to work on my climbing after the issues I had in Norway controlling my HR on the ascents - and I realise I hadn't done much structured fell work since well before the hundred, so it's probably been three months. Tonight I stayed local, jogging over to the bottom of the steepest sustained climb at Nesscliffe, the one I call "School Gully". I tried to climb well within myself, powerhiking and breathing through my nose every two paces, slowing down if I started to get out of breath or felt my HR creeping up. At the end of each climb (about 3.5 minutes) I jogged down the easy steady descent (about 5.5 minutes) ready for the next climb. Four reps tonight, but that was because the dog was getting hot and tired :-) Felt good, got to try to do this session or something similar more often. Probably didn't gain full fat burning effect though because I was starrving when I got in and had a Twix just before I went out to run...<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Tuesday 16/07/2013 - evening</div>
<div>
<b>Rest / X Train</b></div>
<div>
Resisted the temptation to run. Mowed the lawn and walked the dog instead. Stiperstones race tomorrow.<br />
<br />
Wednesday 17/07/2013 - evening<br />
<b>Stiperstones Fell Race</b><br />
0:37 plus warm-up, 1,250' (3.7 miles)<br />
<br />
I hadn't done a short fell race for too long! They are fun, even if you're not properly trained for them and you are tired. Primarily this was a good opportunity for some intense training, and I decided beforehand to work as hard as I could for as long as I could without risking damaging myself. I should have started a little quicker on the wider section as I got badly held up on the first climb and descent but by the second climb I was pretty much in the right place in the field. At the top of the steep section of the second climb, the character of the route changes completely, from singletrack to an ATV road, which continues to climb at about 1:10 for nearly a mile. I struggled up here and did a deal with myself to keep running. I did manage to run the route out, only Paul and Val passed me up this section and they are both considerably quicker than me on the flat. I held position on the steep technical descent but by the road my heels were burning hot (it was a very warm dry night) and I eased off for fear that the damaged skin from the ultras would give out altogether and I'd have a recurrence of the foot problems I had after Three Peaks in 2011. In the end they just about held together and a dunk in the stream at the end saved them! I lost about 7/8 places on the final run-in but wasn't bothered, and given the lack of any specific prep I was quite happy with 37:09 and 34th place of 79. My previous race was not a good one (in 2011, after no sleep whatsoever the night before, I'd run 43:41.<br />
<br />
Saturday 20/07/2013 - afternoon<br />
<b>Very Easy Run on Snowdon</b><br />
1:51 (moving time), 2,100' (7.6 miles)<br />
<br />
My friend Mel got her first England cap today, in the Snowdon International Mountain Race. I went out to support, setting off up the hill 20 minutes before the start of the race after a natter with some of my many friends who were running. I jogged up to about the 1,250' point and waited for the lead runners. I stood chatting and taking photos as most of the field came up. Mel looked great and very happy in her shiny new England kit! Then walked gently on up with some of the back markers - it would have been rude to run past them... At 2,200' I met Al Tye, and stood with him for a while as the leaders and the first third of the field came back down. I then headed off in the extremely strong sun and heat, picking a nice line down into the valley under Cloggy cliffs, then diagonally up steep rough ground to pick up the Snowdon Ranger path above the Cwm Brwynog - Cwm Clogwyn col. From there a still over the fence leads to a sketchy but lovely traversing path under Moel Cynghorion. I cut across the Afon Arddu valley and climbed up to Hebron Station to pick up the main Llanberis path as the tail enders were finishing the race, and stopped at the ice cream barn for a 99 and a Fanta on the way back to the event field. Paul Jones of Mercia had won the V40 open race and Mel had done great finishing between Pippa Maddams and Helen Berry as second counter for the England ladies. A meal in the Corn Mill in Llangollen on the way home rounded off an excellent day.<br />
<br />
Sunday 21/07/2013 - lunchtime<br />
<b>Burway Hill Climb (Coaching Session)</b><br />
0:42 (moving time), 650' (3.6 miles)<br />
<br />
Did our first Mercia summer coaching session this morning. Mostly on uphill technique. Afterwards 19 of the 23 students, plus Tom and myself, went for a run up Burway Hill putting some of the technique into practise. Mostly back marked and coached.</div>
Jim Tinnionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09114544290502136378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990110376760143351.post-83106840100383687802013-08-02T09:49:00.002-07:002013-08-02T09:49:39.515-07:00Training - 08 to 14/07/2013Monday 08/07/2013 - evening<br />
<div>
<b>Caer Caradoc</b><br />
<div>
0:54, 850' (3.6 miles)</div>
<div>
<div>
Stopped at Church Stretton on the way back from Gatwick after the Norway trip. Yomped up Caradoc past Three Fingers Rock with Bailey. Skirted around the rocks a bit then down fundamentally the same way.</div>
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<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Wednesday 10/07/2013 - evening</div>
<div>
<b>Wrekin</b></div>
<div>
0:55, 1,150' (3.8 miles)</div>
<div>
Bits of the Wrecker and some new trails, trying to link up recent discoveries and avoid the main path. Some of this was at an easy pace, but I pushed on in one or two places, particularly the top half of the Goaty path. Feeling ok considering, some tightness at bottom of hamstrings and slight soreness in right ankle after Hornindal.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Thursday 11/07/2013 - evening</div>
<div>
<b>Sports massage</b></div>
<div>
Went to see the ever-brilliant Dianne. Good release of my back between the shoulder blades, probably from wearing the running sack all weekend (inc.l as had baggage for flights). Worked quite hard / deep on the shin muscles (tibialis anterior). Need to keep working on the flexibility stuff I think - I'm considering a one-off physio appointment to get an assessment and some kind of training / stretching plan. Nice two mile walk along the canal towpath with the dog afterwards.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Friday 12/07/2013</div>
<div>
<b>Nesscliffe</b></div>
<div>
1:07, 600' (5.0 miles)</div>
<div>
Quite warm very gentle jog around the Cliffe, Hopton Hill and Nesscliffe Wood with Em. The emphasis was very much on the social aspect tonight, so I had a nice easy run. Felt ok after yesterday's massage: thankfully no adverse reaction in my shins! Di always seems to get it just right :-)</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Sunday 14/07/2013 </div>
<div>
<b>Longmynd Longish Run</b> </div>
<div>
2:47, 3,050' (12.6 miles) </div>
<div>
Started at 9:30 am which was way too late on one of the hottest days of the year. I was going to go round the Longmynd Valleys route, but realised as I reached the top of Jonathan's Hollow that, with many of the streams almost empty, water could be at a premium today. A change of plan was to drop down Ashes and if there was not drinkable water in the stream to go all the way down to the campsite, then cross Yearlet / Ashlet and do half of the Cardingmill Canter route to finish off. There was water in the stream in the hollow, so I went straight up Yearlet on an experimental line, right up the vague ridge between the west and south faces which is a pretty direct line to the top. It eases after a while and on a cooler day the top half of the climb would be runnable. Coming off Yearlet I bumped into a Newport/Telford AC trio - it was nice to see them after a while. Went round onto Ashlet and then down the Green Path and the ramp to the cafe in Cardingmill. Filled up the bottle and grabbed a salt sachet, which I ate half of on the start of the next climb. I tried the path which goes round the back of the bungalow and takes Bodbury on pretty much direct. It's steep, unrelenting and compsed mostly of slippy gravel. I had to stop a couple of times and really felt I was running out of steam. I managed to drag my weary carcass up to Haddon Hill, then did the Canter descent and jogged round the pipeline to New Pool. It was heaving with sunbathers and swimmers. After a quick swim / cool down I jogged down the valley to finish off. Some good climbing, but I felt pretty weak today. Maybe it was just the heat? </div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
<b>Summary</b></div>
<div>
5:43, 5,650' (25 miles) and a massage.</div>
<div>
<b><br /></b></div>
<div>
A start in getting back to training properly and specifically for fell running. After the problems at Hornindal on Saturday I managed to get some decent climbing done. I'm also thinking it might be an idea at this phase in my cycle to get a bit of physio support to sort out a few niggles and weaknesses: a slight left side groin strain I've had for months, the under-activated glutes and psoas muscles, sore/overused shin muscles and the stiffness in my lower back which can lead to tightness down my glutes, hams, calves and Achilles. That's quite a shopping list!</div>
Jim Tinnionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09114544290502136378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990110376760143351.post-22973728832778530712013-08-02T09:49:00.001-07:002013-08-02T09:49:04.771-07:00Hornindal Rundt - 06/07/2013<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking fairly composed five minutes before the start!</td></tr>
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The advance publicity for this race offered a "38 km fjelløp. 2 900 høgdemeter!" and a "75 km ultrafjelløp. 5 600 høgdemeter". I don't think a lot of translation is required but a fjelløp can be roughly equated to a fell race. I found the event on the UTMB qualifying events list (not so much because I wanted to gain UTMB points but because it's a great way to find events), and entered early this year. The main event of the "season" was the LDWA 100 and this was six weeks later, so I figured there would probably be enough recovery time to get it sufficiently together for a big fell ultra. After all I'd done Brecon 40 and the Tour de Hellvellyn, both at 40 miles and about 10,000' feet of clibing, not to mention last year's CCC at 56 miles and 19,000' so 45 miles and 18,500' should be do-able, right?<br />
<br />
I organised to travel over on the Thursday to give Friday to settle in / recover and reccie a small section of the route, then race on Saturday, recover on Sunday and travel home on Monday.<br />
<br />
It all went fairly straightforwardly and I arrived in Grodås (the main village in the valley of Hornindal) as planned on Thursday night, and spent Friday doing a gentle reccie of the final section of the 75km full round and registering then attending the race briefing.<br />
<br />
Saturday morning dawned dry and hot and we all gathered at the start. There was a delay while some chips which had been wrongly programmed were cleared, but at 09:20 we were off.<br />
<br />
The first section headed out of town along a road before an undulating bit of forest road. </div>
</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Five minutes in, on the road out of Grodås</td></tr>
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Right after the first checkpoint though it ramped right up and a steep rough path led up through the forest to about 2,000' where we came out onto open fell (fjell?). Looking back there was a great view to Hornindalvatnet, Europe's deepest lake</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing Middagsfjellert, about 650m up</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
A more steadily graded section (but still rough underfoot) led to our first summit of the day.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summit of Middagsfjellert</td></tr>
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</div>
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: left;">
From the top the descent was initially fairly similar to Scottish fell running conditions, fairly soft underfuut, but rough with lots of rocks and peat hags, but it soon steepened. The next section dropped about 500m steeply down on a very rough, narrow trail which was rocky at times. Pretty soon we were down in the valley and running a 1km out and back to CP3 on an easy forest road. I took the opportunity to walk for a few hundred metres, rehydrate and eat a cereal bar. Another section of forest road took us gently up past some lovely hay meadows towards CP4.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHecX2BuRvEmEoRWE5C6w1Q-5oFZgmAamHinhycREizITFwqZVzFuc-_H_7WtHFtCkEfiYjpNZK4yg5IBYmrGAbN-5TiXuXYxjZLYlix-fkaQX4aWSeyAiLIv6rbn4KXplMuMCyARupfX/s1600/P7060062.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKHecX2BuRvEmEoRWE5C6w1Q-5oFZgmAamHinhycREizITFwqZVzFuc-_H_7WtHFtCkEfiYjpNZK4yg5IBYmrGAbN-5TiXuXYxjZLYlix-fkaQX4aWSeyAiLIv6rbn4KXplMuMCyARupfX/s400/P7060062.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An easier section, the gravel road near Grothaugen between CP3 and CP4</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinbnlWPRrXlnEhROndxtVSAKklChoPZf4JxSGDGDahNrwm2IrVGVAGSesx1SWG7bfRiVSbTE6RaZDELv-Rde7IMnowNQIrm8xSrvcx-vdMvLWGNtXkK87rFawnArW9V_Ud1A-BUGtIADre/s1600/P7060065.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinbnlWPRrXlnEhROndxtVSAKklChoPZf4JxSGDGDahNrwm2IrVGVAGSesx1SWG7bfRiVSbTE6RaZDELv-Rde7IMnowNQIrm8xSrvcx-vdMvLWGNtXkK87rFawnArW9V_Ud1A-BUGtIADre/s400/P7060065.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Norwegian barn at Grothaugen. This was the easiest going for 25km.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: left;">
After CP4 we started the climb that would eventually lead to the high point of the race at Gulkoppen. The first section was a steep climb up through woods to reach a large wet meadow and aother short haul up under power lines to get on the west ridge of the Saetrehornet.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60-HGNscIlpW-1OkqsxGdukKzXbIYOTdODAI8lNi7_VCZZnUo3Ta25Vjw5bnSaltj-gziruIMKUBZSyHjwoE7FDiwItSA58Z2mLq63REmE7AxiPvFCuLkgMuQTnSC-feUQxU9z63I5BhC/s1600/P7060067.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60-HGNscIlpW-1OkqsxGdukKzXbIYOTdODAI8lNi7_VCZZnUo3Ta25Vjw5bnSaltj-gziruIMKUBZSyHjwoE7FDiwItSA58Z2mLq63REmE7AxiPvFCuLkgMuQTnSC-feUQxU9z63I5BhC/s400/P7060067.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Doesn't look too bad up the power lines onto the west ridge of the Saetrehornet,<br />
but this was rough ground and a faint track which was boggy where it wasn't rocky.</td></tr>
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<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirbzaE4bWwB_5qgsosL4VVSsKxdVnbV2VX5Ey4KK8qwey23rUCYyIhKwCvlS8jd4x6eAbXnZhtdnBYSKaGUxqnCPZEe23VFm_6MhGk_wJAGLS6yAfO3doGeGBp6nJT64FXDZtzFZMUsxb2/s1600/P7060070.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirbzaE4bWwB_5qgsosL4VVSsKxdVnbV2VX5Ey4KK8qwey23rUCYyIhKwCvlS8jd4x6eAbXnZhtdnBYSKaGUxqnCPZEe23VFm_6MhGk_wJAGLS6yAfO3doGeGBp6nJT64FXDZtzFZMUsxb2/s400/P7060070.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just onto the Saetrehornet ridge, looking back</td></tr>
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<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: left;">
I made a bad mistake on the ridge - I was in a fair sized group and I knew there was a checkpoint coming up but I just assumed that I'd see it as everyone stopped to make sure their electonic tallies had registered. Head down and climbing hard I must have gone straight past CP5.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdDjp_qrb9FAQnKTQIuoj5NQVal-OM9j18mLcKnSfCUwOr75J11uXBcfQuWGuW9Z5qwrqH-SMwQZdQ57RaB-aId-aYaQ5ec9GBRC-LyDjtdBa1q5ALi3NxNh41Kjg5VPyg8rNDy8O1_BnZ/s1600/P7060071.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdDjp_qrb9FAQnKTQIuoj5NQVal-OM9j18mLcKnSfCUwOr75J11uXBcfQuWGuW9Z5qwrqH-SMwQZdQ57RaB-aId-aYaQ5ec9GBRC-LyDjtdBa1q5ALi3NxNh41Kjg5VPyg8rNDy8O1_BnZ/s400/P7060071.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Climbing the Saetrehornet, just after I'd missed CP5. I went up almost as far<br />
as the peak on the right before I realised and double backed.</td></tr>
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<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: left;">
I continued on for about twenty minutes, covering about 1.5km and 200m more climbing before I realised that I must have missed it. A quick chat with a fellow competitor confirmed that I'd gone past it, so I had the heartbreaking job of running downhill past maybe fifty competitors to get back to the checkpoint and register my tally. I then started back up and had tob try to forget about it. I lost 35 minutes in the end, and probably went a bit too fast on the re-ascent too - never get angry on an ultra, it can lead to some really bad decisions. Anyway I got it back together and went fairly well up to CP6, taking back a few of the many places I'd lost...</div>
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLIcxLWo-HN0FmMMI8LQ2PpNLOi4wSIVPMEtaj3I91rsNWEwbffX6o3Bjmz87804rmaGX83vIe5EBZ3GVx_IaernRrrP9x3S9QO8tuVvK-KXgSUj844DP845gyG_en8eDnKHzHMc2SJnJ/s1600/P7060074.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJLIcxLWo-HN0FmMMI8LQ2PpNLOi4wSIVPMEtaj3I91rsNWEwbffX6o3Bjmz87804rmaGX83vIe5EBZ3GVx_IaernRrrP9x3S9QO8tuVvK-KXgSUj844DP845gyG_en8eDnKHzHMc2SJnJ/s400/P7060074.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Small snowfield just below the 1102m summit of Størehornet.</td></tr>
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<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaHTDJPHPw1dnWLnTSqMIkw__qVpDaj2noOkKhzLX7swaZTgS0f3J4MwXQiGRGAIJHzHwKGpcVgYdKV8CzTTkRUALHaghBUvqHhzLZmEmu5v4gGv6CNvLlYilYgf9veSgumFrvh6htBgpL/s1600/P7060076.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaHTDJPHPw1dnWLnTSqMIkw__qVpDaj2noOkKhzLX7swaZTgS0f3J4MwXQiGRGAIJHzHwKGpcVgYdKV8CzTTkRUALHaghBUvqHhzLZmEmu5v4gGv6CNvLlYilYgf9veSgumFrvh6htBgpL/s400/P7060076.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CP6 at the summit of Størehornet with Niels.</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xU8OQXrGoxsVWxQeQc2lXiVEumA5gewFjpCLng5msEsr2MBdiT5oTqIjQ9Ae73p_YZvjTuUqQb21QLK1_alv7GZbuxu9GAYkVdTEdCZROguYe_bmQdb6HQvRFRfc0RzP0CTuNaUZzvlk/s1600/P7060077.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xU8OQXrGoxsVWxQeQc2lXiVEumA5gewFjpCLng5msEsr2MBdiT5oTqIjQ9Ae73p_YZvjTuUqQb21QLK1_alv7GZbuxu9GAYkVdTEdCZROguYe_bmQdb6HQvRFRfc0RzP0CTuNaUZzvlk/s400/P7060077.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Niels kindly took a picture for me.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: left;">
At CP6 I took a few pictures and while I was doing that weighed up how things were going. I'd probably gone too quickly up the climb and I was blowing quite hard with my heart racing. I was concerned I wasn't recovering as normal, so despite a brief stop my HR wasn't dropping much. I decided to take it easy and make sure I enjoyed the next few legs and see how things went. Taking it easy wasn't particularly straightforward on the next leg - the last stage of the massive 1,100m climb to Gulkoppen. We could see the snowfield that unlocked the approach to the summit with many tiny figures climbing up it. As we got nearer we passed a guy from the local mountain rescue all kitted up ready with a stretcher! I took a bit of care on the snowfield, which was very steep in the centre section... We were soon up it though and a short jog along the ridge led to the summit.</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhQqgb2iSByIO7xI6Ko6DBRN3C__p9e5jgLE4qOIv-2IRCEje4EINCrPt4gaMy5F8oruV5rBVEaNX3sdmk5rUZZhHcogzl8iJaMWZRv3IC2NF46k10cFfCpZT0Fb_DYhMxX_QusCyyV09q/s1600/P7060079.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhQqgb2iSByIO7xI6Ko6DBRN3C__p9e5jgLE4qOIv-2IRCEje4EINCrPt4gaMy5F8oruV5rBVEaNX3sdmk5rUZZhHcogzl8iJaMWZRv3IC2NF46k10cFfCpZT0Fb_DYhMxX_QusCyyV09q/s400/P7060079.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tiny figures climbing the final snowfield on the way up Gulkoppen</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;">
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKinzeCGihc1vvSJ2K0blhBFxKRVETUChAuuW3UoXbVZNZpbxmSnWce77cIEmy6qE9YRN331OVzKnAAwjb9nDTWgV-Hx5e5dWiF2Xxw5J19C-nGQRfdYlogeXQFG5U4rJlQMhqGz_ljo2v/s1600/P7060083.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKinzeCGihc1vvSJ2K0blhBFxKRVETUChAuuW3UoXbVZNZpbxmSnWce77cIEmy6qE9YRN331OVzKnAAwjb9nDTWgV-Hx5e5dWiF2Xxw5J19C-nGQRfdYlogeXQFG5U4rJlQMhqGz_ljo2v/s400/P7060083.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the snowfield, this was steeper than it looks!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjru6MA-jPK9d2BgvsIg8ivkjGISurkpifnoiUU17lHEqUVldV1ISApruP3ASk2jqR5PVEta9X5dXSXpYwLTWITVtNkPKSygpHnEbrxUR2V8tctVBlH56ozVOfYdxFJfnR-4B-kcFgfTOLK/s1600/P7060085.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjru6MA-jPK9d2BgvsIg8ivkjGISurkpifnoiUU17lHEqUVldV1ISApruP3ASk2jqR5PVEta9X5dXSXpYwLTWITVtNkPKSygpHnEbrxUR2V8tctVBlH56ozVOfYdxFJfnR-4B-kcFgfTOLK/s400/P7060085.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gradient on the top section of the snowfield did ease off somewhat!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA31HX5s8KSEoQqqk95iMFus9xjO-_MbEljniLBarPfo_Qy3QK3VjprSCybl9LBsXTSBcmEIGPtVjRu64eUaH7C2Kn2zT7rwIc6-rvy2PT55jNxST4ZI13NNLbjf0lTOhuO_HvylAhfYqb/s1600/P7060087.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA31HX5s8KSEoQqqk95iMFus9xjO-_MbEljniLBarPfo_Qy3QK3VjprSCybl9LBsXTSBcmEIGPtVjRu64eUaH7C2Kn2zT7rwIc6-rvy2PT55jNxST4ZI13NNLbjf0lTOhuO_HvylAhfYqb/s400/P7060087.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Checkpoint at the summit of Gulkoppen (1,304m) - the end of a continuous<br />
3,600' climb.</td></tr>
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<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: left;">
The descent from Gulkoppen was almost as big as the climb, initially with huge open vistas across boilerplate rocks and small snowfields to the peaks in the distance. I went down at a reasonable pace to start with, speeding up and passing people as the oack and snow gave way to mud and bilberries and then to scrubby woodland. There were two out and back sections in Knutsdalen, first downhill through the open birchwood to CP7 at Holskardsaetra. There was a good crowd here and a nice vibe, but I only stopped for long enough to register my tally.</div>
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMJG0RhS15qdXebYCP2aKpQnPeiLHASGkrPwaz9wjXSp_KZ_CrN-sf03tQLYzBdQ56nLgXRSGI0_HcKHCcV85WEGHgWV5PakyaFtNg-zmoGRv16eXuvt7GUuTpQxQjX_EG_hRFTDZgVCF/s1600/P7060092.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghMJG0RhS15qdXebYCP2aKpQnPeiLHASGkrPwaz9wjXSp_KZ_CrN-sf03tQLYzBdQ56nLgXRSGI0_HcKHCcV85WEGHgWV5PakyaFtNg-zmoGRv16eXuvt7GUuTpQxQjX_EG_hRFTDZgVCF/s400/P7060092.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The start of the descent from Gulkoppen gives an idea of the vastness of <br />
these landscapes. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div style="margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir3ecowB2RIJLRIPsPcZQnrQU9B9NDRNP4M3MpWYSehEcLm4ygxh_J2CBRe3npqs8qJZ6nxumhqdSmRhrx5B4h7xhwarHEmlanU1htM_rSloZSIxu7QJUL1J7TSwWGMGi66Mos3AgQFE6L/s1600/P7060094.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEir3ecowB2RIJLRIPsPcZQnrQU9B9NDRNP4M3MpWYSehEcLm4ygxh_J2CBRe3npqs8qJZ6nxumhqdSmRhrx5B4h7xhwarHEmlanU1htM_rSloZSIxu7QJUL1J7TSwWGMGi66Mos3AgQFE6L/s400/P7060094.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">High mountain lake Holskardvatnet with Holskardhornet (1,247m) behind</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div align="left">
Back up past the waterfalls to the end of the out-and-back and I noted a lot of dumped rucksacs which seemed a bit unfair - if you're asked to carry kit to my mind you carry it all the way round. Anyway the route now climbed quite steeply up to the next chackpoint on the Daurmålhornet. The total ascent was only about 300m (the smallest on the whole route) but I felt absolutely spent here and couldn't manage anything more than a slow walk up the hill. It wasn't even that steep or particularly rough by the standards of this route anyway. The Daurmålhornet (890m) is a rocky plateau rally. We crossed the northern edge of it, clipping at the checkpoint by the cairn.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="left">
The next leg took us down 120m to another out-and-back, this time starting with an uphill section over rough moor and boulderfields to a cabin by the picturesque lake at Kupa. I was tired but managed to run much of this, drinking loads of clear cold water from the river near the lake outlet and taking five minutes to sit in the shade on the hut's veranda and eat a KitKat and a gel.</div>
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<div align="left">
We now had a 280m descent over the next 2.6km through scrub and bog to reach a lovely wooden bridge over the river in the bottom of Knutsdalen. I swapped places with a nice local lady who I'd been with on the climb to Daurmålhornet a few times over this section. Finally at about 28.5km we hit the first bit of forest road in 15km. Another 300m and we were at the first manned checkpoint (A), Sandgrova, just a cluster of cabins and a rather disinterested marshall (he may have had a mechanical on his car because his head was under the bonnet - I'm not sure how he logged my time but he did).<br />
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3jeCec7c1yDXckRnmSas0V1Qk9xj5pBFUobm_M5LXrbggJ_js20S8N9o-mSLUraZitdmLnIyYf5nXFriHaMCFhMj4w7JZtAzA0n1bqUz88_KN8j7A84cRRNUKN2hgcOP1C-qLBjcxKrhl/s1600/P7060106.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3jeCec7c1yDXckRnmSas0V1Qk9xj5pBFUobm_M5LXrbggJ_js20S8N9o-mSLUraZitdmLnIyYf5nXFriHaMCFhMj4w7JZtAzA0n1bqUz88_KN8j7A84cRRNUKN2hgcOP1C-qLBjcxKrhl/s400/P7060106.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking up Knutsdalen with peaks in the 1,300m to 1,500m range</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtACgZpu2fx_txVUEHIKgisx32wnMWddN7xWwy0V_Vk-5LMpPmIE5AVRo2l086PiCu7rM8p8aJRSKllJPcFKcfcBhOeNofTyAnlxrLcLlDNJ87PLf4upYeptwkAUmPv7kNp0xWaz6E977o/s1600/P7060110.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtACgZpu2fx_txVUEHIKgisx32wnMWddN7xWwy0V_Vk-5LMpPmIE5AVRo2l086PiCu7rM8p8aJRSKllJPcFKcfcBhOeNofTyAnlxrLcLlDNJ87PLf4upYeptwkAUmPv7kNp0xWaz6E977o/s400/P7060110.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hornindalsrokken from just above manned checkpoint A, with some<br />
typical race terrain in the foreground.</td></tr>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
From Sandgrova the climb up to the next CP was just unbelievable. It started fairly steadily, but ramped up until the slope of the ground around us must have been close to 45°. Even the map shows a section of about 300m horizontally where the climb is 200m vertically. All I could do was grind out 50m or so of climbing then stop and rest for half a minute, then do it all over again, still having problems con. Towards the top I caught up a guy called Mattias and we chatted which helped pass the remainder of the climb. There was a local lad called Rolf with us there too - he couldn't have been any older than 17 and was doing great. The checkpoint was on the top of a hill called Muldsvorhornet.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhx8GbRYMiPkPOiiGE4Xoy650MI5uorKNvbqAb8QhpYrsvT7uY1jrp7UGBudlt1B5srYETjKeUJtGyBx4Mb4SzVjIEPkg4vLKjupa4kTMKe0WXM2sHEq9AfMCqgMfT7_OrM1d-vd8cGdm6/s1600/P7060111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhx8GbRYMiPkPOiiGE4Xoy650MI5uorKNvbqAb8QhpYrsvT7uY1jrp7UGBudlt1B5srYETjKeUJtGyBx4Mb4SzVjIEPkg4vLKjupa4kTMKe0WXM2sHEq9AfMCqgMfT7_OrM1d-vd8cGdm6/s400/P7060111.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing the river in Knutsdalen</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPf_36LQqrED64E1dhNC00npZtkxgp8qauw9g07vv_KZ4wkyRvcs2RN9zYAtUrL15T30wjAkpk_9udbUbN8b3njX7NjsQagep-p4g5ZiwlcE8StK7tHxT80oenTj-uFLWMDeLVFiZLXFn/s1600/P7060114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDPf_36LQqrED64E1dhNC00npZtkxgp8qauw9g07vv_KZ4wkyRvcs2RN9zYAtUrL15T30wjAkpk_9udbUbN8b3njX7NjsQagep-p4g5ZiwlcE8StK7tHxT80oenTj-uFLWMDeLVFiZLXFn/s400/P7060114.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the summit of Moldsvorhornet, looking to Hornindalsrokken</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzc4_4yBnXL9E8dqCrPuU7gMUXiBa4U1nl74RZj7NFpqGS-IoFJxg8IJ6yKx0endCmUtX-JrGvYaVUoLq7EbTiWRsYTiFIz4eEW3tYnvgA-zB0WxiM6GAOoSZCwVEoxvdl2BjFyzdsoOx/s1600/P7060116.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzc4_4yBnXL9E8dqCrPuU7gMUXiBa4U1nl74RZj7NFpqGS-IoFJxg8IJ6yKx0endCmUtX-JrGvYaVUoLq7EbTiWRsYTiFIz4eEW3tYnvgA-zB0WxiM6GAOoSZCwVEoxvdl2BjFyzdsoOx/s400/P7060116.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rolf and Mathias at Moldsvorhornet</td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
<br />
By now I had decided that given my difficulty with the climbing I'd call it a day at the halfway point rather than risk having problems late on in the event on the exposed section of mountain terrain around Hogenibba where there would be the least amount of light (the Norwegians call the peculiar light when dusk merges into dawn "the grey light"). So having made that decision there was only one thing to do coming off the final summit - belt it down. I had a pretty good descent, taking aorund ten minutes off the competitors who were with me at the top in 4.3km. I reached my final checkpoint at Horndøla bru at 18:08 for a total time of 8:48. I'd done 41km and 3,100m of climbing (25.5 miles and 10,200').<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jg0ThRZlcShLWpt9r9sO-GlpIJFBysW002Jsjlm6nLIakaqVJJ9fVsDW_W4eb3hpNCvM0i5-IbDhsGVKHIJ0a4mBAM5-0gng5EqVuNei9wjFi1maTst8eOjoU3fztTPGeouZ1xXURRJU/s1600/P7060123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_jg0ThRZlcShLWpt9r9sO-GlpIJFBysW002Jsjlm6nLIakaqVJJ9fVsDW_W4eb3hpNCvM0i5-IbDhsGVKHIJ0a4mBAM5-0gng5EqVuNei9wjFi1maTst8eOjoU3fztTPGeouZ1xXURRJU/s400/P7060123.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Little Saetra with typical old time huts above upper Hornindal</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Pvyzmm3EXcpFD1ih6GgvmTTTgCVOcg35Z4mPR8ul4IgyQYX8hNO9UbjuRhH9L3h5ribvSdTOI7B_55BgGsG0NNSj-BPLAqPdYADL-q6dj0wkOJ5FmN7JOw9ZLBEEWM813DsITftq82V2/s1600/P7060124.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Pvyzmm3EXcpFD1ih6GgvmTTTgCVOcg35Z4mPR8ul4IgyQYX8hNO9UbjuRhH9L3h5ribvSdTOI7B_55BgGsG0NNSj-BPLAqPdYADL-q6dj0wkOJ5FmN7JOw9ZLBEEWM813DsITftq82V2/s400/P7060124.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">All done for the day at <span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Horndøla bru</span></span></td></tr>
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<br />
<br />
There was hot soup and chocolate milk for the finishers (and for those going on to do the full loop Ultra Fjellop). I got a lift back to Grodas with the Race Organiser and arrived with plenty of time to snack and lounge about, then take pictures of the leading guys finishing the full round. My neighbour in the B&B, Mattias Gärdsback, finished an awesome second and he and his grilfriend Caroline shared dinner with me in the late evening. I popped back out to the finish line to see a few more guys completing the round including another I had chatted to in the B&B before the race, Per-Einar Roth.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYVrTyl6mad54Y31BwooQKBNtkfeNURKd_SF3UI3emiavkucTTu0zzOPoTahobR0TQold5OH4GUR3Q9yB3g2GCmJP_i1Q-ALJjm_w3Eh2_3IhoJ7UnfMMVup0A-m9U3JN2p_EQfmyGu3sD/s1600/P7060132.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYVrTyl6mad54Y31BwooQKBNtkfeNURKd_SF3UI3emiavkucTTu0zzOPoTahobR0TQold5OH4GUR3Q9yB3g2GCmJP_i1Q-ALJjm_w3Eh2_3IhoJ7UnfMMVup0A-m9U3JN2p_EQfmyGu3sD/s400/P7060132.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Winner, Kristoffer Normark just beyond the end of the final descent</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaeXFoctM3hiscKh6HyiU7H_Gkw18v8Aw_78ygD4m3bpXTB17fYXKtfzNpuCb23BQaqEVGR8vNu_y5DC7pX4aWZdL8P5txBOlNw48xUNcP8B2axur2JpTaWvOEsL-TkVjscNxXFcNRY84_/s1600/P7060141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaeXFoctM3hiscKh6HyiU7H_Gkw18v8Aw_78ygD4m3bpXTB17fYXKtfzNpuCb23BQaqEVGR8vNu_y5DC7pX4aWZdL8P5txBOlNw48xUNcP8B2axur2JpTaWvOEsL-TkVjscNxXFcNRY84_/s400/P7060141.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Second place was Matt<span style="text-align: left;">ias Gärdsback, my neighbour in the B&B</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
I went back in the morning and saw the last finishers come in, three locals, just before the presentation, then had a great afternoon out on the hills which form the last quarter of the full course.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwIM9Nx8m3SmShMOsvuy4RvG2cNHQenchkOLfoob0l-j61ogh6DfTIPGOAMUrGIZ_D_USEmMIY3fqS09J4t0HXUb_5drReeMa4p9vSWIWv_u64ltq-V1hP-z8yggvLQjWb_x3bOeYtjT6/s1600/P7070144.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGwIM9Nx8m3SmShMOsvuy4RvG2cNHQenchkOLfoob0l-j61ogh6DfTIPGOAMUrGIZ_D_USEmMIY3fqS09J4t0HXUb_5drReeMa4p9vSWIWv_u64ltq-V1hP-z8yggvLQjWb_x3bOeYtjT6/s400/P7070144.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;">Final finishers, <span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Stian Løkken, </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Anne Raftevold, and </span><span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-auto;">Inger Margerthe Nordskov</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white; text-align: -webkit-auto;">after 25 hours 50 minutes out on the 75km course</span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKWsOnkcAvO2NGZBaC4F_cnGfzbtg4RwmBkD9ewu8LXvaEWcrUG8TELQiNul1mrXxLocVlaK5V50hR1edzZruil7D9pVy-oPK9R-IVV2dYU9IVupomzr2vH6Y78aqJiR9mlf96qNDpv6I/s1600/P7070147.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeKWsOnkcAvO2NGZBaC4F_cnGfzbtg4RwmBkD9ewu8LXvaEWcrUG8TELQiNul1mrXxLocVlaK5V50hR1edzZruil7D9pVy-oPK9R-IVV2dYU9IVupomzr2vH6Y78aqJiR9mlf96qNDpv6I/s400/P7070147.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Brilliant race organisers!</td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsk5W2wXaFYOOCHDLQVA4ShAVTnzLdmWD7wzD_hJ8W500YvcMoMCJNB1-Bcsl36Li2o31v7UmqwZG7ojvpuEY6zIqEDYw2MI1lOuyh7iHO9ulIy0V1hfmw_UQFGPUA-d6DJTBZweNgqY-a/s1600/P7070166.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsk5W2wXaFYOOCHDLQVA4ShAVTnzLdmWD7wzD_hJ8W500YvcMoMCJNB1-Bcsl36Li2o31v7UmqwZG7ojvpuEY6zIqEDYw2MI1lOuyh7iHO9ulIy0V1hfmw_UQFGPUA-d6DJTBZweNgqY-a/s400/P7070166.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Men's podium</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I'll definitely be back to complete the full round.<br />
<br />
<strong>Lessons learned</strong></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
I struggled with hydration, drinking a lot of water (all from streams and rivers on route) but I think my salts got out of balance a bit. I forgot to take any salt tablets with me and only managed to buy some Ritz biscuits as a substitute. Although I ate several at one point I don't think they really were as good!</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I also didn't really take account of how I was feeling early enough and went too hard on the first climb and descent when I lready felt I was struggling.<br />
<br />
And finally I do really need to sort out my health issue which may be underlying the odd off day when I can't seem to control my HR. That's twice I've had a problem, once on the CCC which I put down mostly to being mildly hypothermic but I had very similar problems at Hornindal - maybe it's when there's additional stress (heat, dehydration / salt depletion) as well as the normal ultra running issues.<br />
<br />
I did have a great day, and actually a great trip with good runs the day before and after the race too, and a fairly smooth journey in each direction. More details of the race are at: <a href="http://www.hornindalrundt.no/" target="_blank">http://www.hornindalrundt.no/</a></div>
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Jim Tinnionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09114544290502136378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990110376760143351.post-80638631420998860972013-07-15T03:05:00.000-07:002013-07-29T23:23:34.983-07:00Training - 01 to 07/07/2013Wednesday 03/07/2013 - evening<br />
<b>Bits of Batch Bash</b><br />
0:41, 800' (3.3 miles)<br />
Gentle jog (in reverse) around the east side of Novers Hill to the Cwmdale cattle grid, then following the route up to the golf course fence and down the ridge to the big junction of valleys in the Batch. Jogged back down the valley from there rather than going up towards Jinlye. Took the dog and was a bit time constrained...<br />
<br />
Friday 05/07/2013 - afternoon<br />
<b>Ytrehornssaetra Reccie</b><br />
about 1:30, 1,850' (4.0 miles)<br />
I'd travelled over to Norway on Thursday for the Hornindal race (a long day, setting off from Buckinghamshire at 04:45 Norwegian time and arriving in Hornindal at 18:00). I needed to shake the travel out of my legs, so I walked up to Ytrehornssaetra from Grodås by an obvious but very steep and rough path through woods to come out at a twentieth century standing stone overlooking the valley and village. On the way up I met <span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;">Mattias Gärdsback and his girlfriend Caroline from Sweden, who were staying in the room next to mine at the B&B, and Moritz Maus from Cologne. </span>Just above the standing stone was Ytrehornssaetra. A saetra is like a farmstead or mountain hamlet. A lot of them are abandoned now, or just used as summer huts, but years ago shepherds would have lived in the huts for much of the year. One new addition at Ytrehorn is a mountain hut, open to the public. It just has two benches and a small table but it was a welcome place to duck out of the breeze for ten minutes at the top of the climb. I ran carefully and fairly gently down, trying hard not to injure myself for the following day. It took me 30 minutes at a very laid back pace to the finish area, the following day even the elite runners would be taking a lot more than this (due no doubt to tiredness and finishing in the strange half light of a Norwegian night).<br />
<br />
Saturday 06/07/2013 - all day!<br />
<b>Hornindal Rundt Fjelløp</b><br />
8:48, 9,800' (25.0 miles)<br />
See separate post!<br />
<br />
Sunday 07/07/2013 - afternoon<br />
<b>Høgenibba / Kviven and Otredalen</b><br />
4:36, 4,900' (14.0 miles)<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I had a great walk up from Grodås (60m ASL) to the col where the full ultrafjelløp checkpoint 17 would have been (manned checkpoint), then carefully climbed up to the summit of Høgenibba (1191m) piecing together the route by following the race markings (but in reverse so I had to keep casting about a bit and looking backwards). There were a couple of steep pitches up to the summit, and an amazing view. I ran the descent and then on across the col with a view down to the Kvivsvatnet lake. From here the running was on a lovely traversing path for a mile before a steep climb up to the summit plateau of Kviven which was mostly boilerplate rocks. The descent to Otredalen wasn't particularly steep anywhere but followed the usual Norwegian mode of picking a sketchy line from marker to marker until well below the col and down into the valley where I picked up a little path which took me down to a few huts and two lovely new chalets at Otredalssaetra (checkpoint 19 on the race). From here instead of following the race route over the peak of Svarthamrane and down via Ytrehornssaetra onto Friday's route, I dropped down the very steep ATV track to Otterdal and then along the road back to Grodås. The road had washed away in large part and some of the going was quite rough on the newly placed rock forming the formation for repairs. A thoroughly enjoyable outing which I hope will be a useful reccie of most of the tail end of the full ultrafjelløp race for future.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span>
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<b style="background-color: white; color: #31323b; font-family: inherit; font-size: 16px;">Summary</b><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #31323b; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">15:35, 17,350' (46 miles)</span></span><br />
I really reconnected with the bigger rougher mountain environment I love to be in this week, despite not completing the long race in Hornindal. I'd been wondering what to do about my (over) packed programme for the late summer and autumn, and I'll be concentrating on training for and taking part in events in the bigger hills of the UK. I was going to take part in the WOW 50 mile event on 21/07/2013 but I think I'll limit my participation to doing a long run of maybe 25 miles with some of my friends to celebrate Terry Davies' 60th birthday. I'm leading the first of three coaching sessions to following morning so I ought to make sure I arrive for that in reasonable state!<br />
Coming up after that my likely targets are the Nant y Moch fell race on 17/08, and the Lake District Mountain Trial on 15/09 before the RAB Mountain Marathon at the end of September.<br />
<br />
<br />Jim Tinnionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09114544290502136378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990110376760143351.post-595755841686315802013-07-15T02:59:00.002-07:002013-07-15T15:47:59.578-07:00Three Rings of Shap 100k - 15 and 16/06/2013<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9066406306/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Image0095 by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Image0095" height="375" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2883/9066406306_07e8f17df0.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Near the summit of Branstree, above Haweswater</td></tr>
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I'd heard about the Three Rings of Shap 100k challenge walk from my friend Roger Lloyd, who'd completed two of the rings in 2011. When Zoe and I discussed the Hundred and she said she'd quite fancy doing it next year (that's not exactly what she said in fairness but never mind...) I checked the entry requirements for next year's Hundred and the first available qualifier was the Three Rings. Given that the others were all on flatter terrain which I might find a little less interesting, and that they were all at the "soft" distance of 50 miles, we decided a week after the Hundred to go for the Three Rings of Shap. You can never say whether you're going to be able to do a Hundred, but 100k to 100 miles is a considerably smaller step up than 50 miles to 100k.<br />
<br />
Having registered so close to the event (less than two weeks to go) we didn't have much time for prep other than to book a hotel (the Shap Wells Hotel a few miles away) for the night before and the night after, and to copy A4 maps from my 1:25k OS maps, mark them up, and print the route sheets.<br />
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So after a comfy night's sleep, we popped into the Shap Memorial Hall to register (all of one minute to pick up our tallies and let them know we intended to start late) and then back to the hotel for a decent breakfast. We returned to the event centre at about 8:30 and sorted kit, starting at 8:54am.<br />
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There were very few behind us (only two runners I think) as we set out on the first ring - a trip out up Wet Sleddale and Mosedale to Branstree and Selside Pike, then down Swindale to Rosgill and back past Shap Abbey to Shap itself. We set a decent rapid walking pace out to the River Lowther and up into Wet Sleddale, climbing above the reservoir with Zoe looking very much the part and doing a lot of the nav work.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9064177843/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Image0092 by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Image0092" height="375" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5496/9064177843_9ab8aa4c3b.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Across a meadow to the farm in Wet Sleddale - they were liming the field beyond the farm</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9066404508/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Image0093 by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Image0093" height="375" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5333/9066404508_c7ee76282a.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoe, looking the part and enjoying it (at Mile 4!)</td></tr>
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<br />
From road above the reservoir we took a track zigzagging past Sleddale Hall which is abandoned but looks like it may be under restoration. Another 3km took us up to the watershed between Wet Sleddale and Mosedale, where we consulted the map and compass for a few moments to check that the indistinct grass path would lead us down to the bridge in Mosedale. We ran the descent and jogged across the bridge and up to Mosedale Cottage (which has been refurbished fairly recently) where we overtook the first walkers from the main start, a family group of five doing just the first ring.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9064179151/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Image0094 by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Image0094" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7345/9064179151_6a4170c5e6.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just before Mosedale Cottage (12km)</td></tr>
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The climb to Branstree was relatively straightforward, up a stream to a wall and then along the ridge to the top. Except that I got too near the stream at one point and left my right leg in the most gloopy hole full of brown slop imaginable. Anyway we caught another couple of walkers up at the top and from then on it would be a fairly steady stream for the remainder of the first loop.<br />
<br />
We headed along the fenceline to Selside Pike where we caught another few walkers up at the top and from then on it would be a fairly steady stream for the remainder of the first loop.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9066406306/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Image0095 by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Image0095" height="375" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2883/9066406306_07e8f17df0.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View to Haweswater from between Branstree and Selside Pike</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9066407164/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Image0096 by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Image0096" height="500" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5540/9066407164_541c4121b2.jpg" width="375" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Summit of Selside Pike (17km)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9064182189/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Image0097 by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Image0097" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7399/9064182189_a3c1cf0bc9.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pair of walkers near the summit of Selside Pike</td></tr>
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From Selside Pike we dropped down across Hobgrumble Gill to a short climb onto Nabs Moor, before descending easy slopes to the top of Forces Falls, the point at which Mosedale runs down into Swindale. The descent from here to the valley of Swindale was beautiful, down a rocky ridge adjacent to a series of waterfalls and plunge pools.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9066411024/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Image0100 by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Image0100" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7431/9066411024_86f23209cf.jpg" width="375" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful plunge pools on Swindale Beck</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9064187957/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Image0102 by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Image0102" height="500" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2860/9064187957_aa251a5c74.jpg" width="375" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View down into Swindale</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9066414638/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Image0103 by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Image0103" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7374/9066414638_000624a7e7.jpg" width="375" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Technical descending into Swindale</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9066415522/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Image0104 by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Image0104" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7336/9066415522_000d928dd6.jpg" width="375" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoe running the final section of the descent</td></tr>
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A short run along the edge of the beck through moraine led to a lane which turned into the road and led to the first checkpoint at Truss Gap. In a barn by the road were a couple of the Cumbria LDWA stalwarts, logging time, clipping tallies and dispensing superb baked goods. Two currant slices and a piece of cherry cake later and we were on our way up a gentle traversing path to climb above Swindale, passing a farm at Rayside and then recrossing Swindale Beck before joining the road over the River Lowther into Rosgill.<br />
<br />
We snuck through a footpath next to an almost abandoned cottage to join a lovely grassy path which ran along the break of the escarpment above the River Lowther, passing close by Shap Abbey to reach the village of Keld, and then followed anothe path through fields past the brilliantly-named "Goggleby Stone" back to Shap and the event centre.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8DvkokkHK6u8Gwg7k6Pt_h88Tl8xCXv6Gp9M5vI93FxolNe5n1Z10EmJZxo-R-fCi10U0HY8JgESs1JTlNciA-iKV15hQbc_6mYjxaLhHhmST9kKk17pZBhyphenhypheny-8qNNU93Vid-UxQSdYFl/s640/blogger-image-1733348151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8DvkokkHK6u8Gwg7k6Pt_h88Tl8xCXv6Gp9M5vI93FxolNe5n1Z10EmJZxo-R-fCi10U0HY8JgESs1JTlNciA-iKV15hQbc_6mYjxaLhHhmST9kKk17pZBhyphenhypheny-8qNNU93Vid-UxQSdYFl/s400/blogger-image-1733348151.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Shap Abbey</td></tr>
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Having walked and jogged the first 18 miles and 2,600' of climbing in a bit under 5 hours, we took 25 minutes at the checkpoint to regroup. I redressed my foot which was rubbing quite badly, filled our bottle, swapped the maps and route description and we had a cup of tea.<br />
<br />
Duly refreshed we set out on the steady eastward climb which would set us on the way around the second "rivers" ring. (22 min to start of Zoe's track)<br />
<br />
This took us up to Hardendale and over Iron Hill into Reagill and then down to eet the River Livennet at Barnskew. I'd never heard of the Livennet before but it drains quite a significant area north of Crosby Rasenworth Fell between the Lowther and the Lune, and the section we followed was a lovey reach of river. About a third of the way along the river (at about the 8 mile point on the leg) we came to the promised water point...<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9066417628/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Image0106 by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Image0106" height="300" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7399/9066417628_44464dc80c.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">World's most primitive checkpoint - good selection of broken digestives in there, but Zoe<br />
grabbed the only malted milk before I had chance to...</td></tr>
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I really liked the minimalist and simplistic approach to resupply here. The next section of the route was really pretty, criss-crossing the River Livennet over a series of small bridges.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9064192989/" title="Image0107 by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Image0107" height="300" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3727/9064192989_73f5431939_c.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stepping stones across the Livennet, about the only place we didn't cross!</td></tr>
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Eventually we left the banks of the Livennet and passed through the villages of King's Meaburn and Morland before skirting Cliburn (which looked quite pretty on the descent to the bridge). Leaving the second field after Cliburn there was a big boggy patch (one of very few) and Zoe slipped and saved herself from falling using the stile, which unfortunately was wrapped in barbed wire. We stopped for running repairs with the world's tiniest plaster (the only one left in my first aid kit - must replace them when I use them) and some Micropore. Duly patched up we finished this field section, came out via a farm land onto a road, and then had a real draggy section of a bit over 2km to the checkpoint at Great Strickland.<br />
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The checkpoint was in the Strickland Arms (well in the back garden actually). This was at 53.5km: I'm quite glad I didn't realise that at the time, it seemed like we'd already gone a fair way - we reached the checkpoint at 18:16 (09:22 elapsed). We stopped for maybe ten minutes while I patched up my feet again, and partook of the excellent selection of savoury snacks (including mini-pasties - a very welcome first time I've seen these on an event). Just as we were getting ready to leave it started to rain, so we cagged up there and then - I thought it might last a while!<br />
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Another 2km of roads led us down and across the River Leith (second of the three rivers this Ring is named for) and on to another of those places where we made a minor navigational error, using the wrong "gate by pylon". Zoe and I had passed a couple of groups of walkers on the road and with a bit of shouted communication we soon sorted it out and found the key bridge over the West Coast Main Line. A zigzag under the motorway led us up to the A6 at Hackthorpe. It was raining on and off, and we wanted to get as far as we could back towards Shap before it set in properly, so I avoided the temptation of another pub, and we headed on uphill through a nature reserve-type area, trending left on unmarked paths through deep undergrowth in the hope that this would bring us out in the right place. We actually came out 200m NE of the gate we'd hoped to be at, but fortunately there was another track through the nettles.<br />
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We passed through a gate and a short section of woodland into Lowther deer park. As we came down Round Hill towards Lord Greening's Plantation we could see a big herd of deer off to our left. They seemed fairly unconcerned about the string of walkers spread out over their grazing land. A bit of up and down and a long section with woods on our right led us out of the deer park and across fields to High Knipe. Zoe and I were making good progress, mostly powerhiking but with some running too, and we passed quite a lot of participants on this section.<br />
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Shortly after High Knipe Farm, on a section of road, we came to the second unmanned checkpoint on this Ring, at 62km. Again there were biscuits and water. We must have overtaken a good few folks because this time there was a reasonable choice of biscuits left including a chocolate chip cookie!<br />
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From here we dropped down rapidly to the River Lowther, which we crossed on a fairly bouncy suspension footbridge. We turned and ran upstream with the river on out left for a couple of kilometers to reach Bampton Grange, where we crossed the river and heded along the other side to reach Rosgill - the only point we'd pass twice during the Three Rings.<br />
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We passed the cottage we'd been past on the first Ring, then made a second, more serious navigational error, turning left too soon (following someone else who'd done the same thing - never assume the folk in front know where they're going). We sorted it out after a couple of minutes with the map and hopping over two barbed wire fences, continuing uphill towards Shap in increasingly heavy rain. By the top of the next hill it was pouring, and we could see the chap who'd gone too far left was now away over to the right of the route in a field containing the almost aptly-named Thunder Stone. We shouted him, but I don't think he could hear over the rain.<br />
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Crossing the lane we made a diagonal beeline across three fields of very wet long pasture which finished off soaking my feet and made sure the repair work I'd done at Strickland would need re-doing at Shap. We followed the Ring One route into Shap from the end of the fields and reached the Hall (70km) at 21:12 (12:18 elapsed time). There weren't too many in the hall this time and we realised quite a few of those there we packing up to go home after two Rings.<br />
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We took way too long at the checkpoint really, but I re-dressed my feet from scratch and put new socks and fresh insoles in my shoes to try to keep feet dry for a while. We both ate some proper food too, and changes into a totally fresh set of (dry) clothes. I changed cag from my racing jacket which isn't really ideal for long trips into my mountain jacket which is much better for nights out. We left the hall at dusk, I guess just before 22:00 as the fastest runners were starting to come back in off Ring 3. I was quite pleased to see we hadn't actually been lapped! But I kept remembering the aim here was to ensure Zoe finished and qualified for the 2014 Hundred, and to do so I just needed to keep myself in one piece. So we would be doing relatively little running on the night section!<br />
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We started, still in heavy rain, up across the railway and along a stony lane into fields, climbing diagonally to reach a footbridge over the M6. From there we walked through rough fields along the east side of the motorway before I made yet another navigational error and this time decided not to follow the pair in front, but to climb left. Unfortunately it was a hundred yards too soon and we had to drop back down and try again in the next field.<br />
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At the top of this climb we crossed the haul road for Hardendale Quarry then followed another haul road down to the hamlet of Oddendale. By now we'd caught up the pair in front, Tony Natale and Andy Carpenter. We passed them on the next section, a long track on a green road gently uphill towards an enclosure called "Potrigg". Just after this we were supposed to fork left, and did so a little too late in the very last vestiges of twilight. Fortunately Tony and Andy shouted us. We then found and followed a nice line across Crosby Ravensworth Fell to reach a critical wall corner. From here the navigation would be straightforward, keeping a wall on our left for 2km as we made a crcuit of the headwaters of the River Livennet.<br />
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We then crossed another kilometer of open ground to meet the Orton - Crosby Rasenworth road. I think we were supposed to go straight over here and up past a plantation between this road and the Appleby to Orton road, but we missed it and ended up following the first road uphill to the junction of the two. By now Tony and Andy were in front of us again, and we duly caught and passed them again on the climb to Beacon Hill. We worked together to identify the gate to leave the fell through and dropped down across some fairly indistinct ground into the first of the limestone pavement landscape to try to find the entrance to Great Asby Scar National Nature Reserve.<br />
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Once in the reserve we followed a track which curved left after a little while. I'd noted we didn't want to go left when I went through the maps before the event, but went left anyway for some reason. Again Tony and Andy came to the rescue. The rest of the route through the Nature Reserve was straightforward though, and we were fairly soon out onto a farm track which became the road leading to the final manned checkpoint of the event, at Great Asby (86km, arrived at 01:22, time elapsed 16:30).<br />
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The checkpoint was brilliant, a gazebo with side panels (is that a tent then?) and a gas heater in the corner of a field. The malt loaf and chees was even better. We stopped ten minutes, and then headed out, passing several other participants on the road down towards Great Asby. These would be the last folks we'd overtake except for Tony and Andy (again!). We hiked up a long farm lane past the entrance to Halligill Farm, and promptly I got confused again on another tricky section. I set a bearing to follow the line of the path marked on the OS, and we ended up in the middle of nowhere at a brand new fence. A hunt around revealed no sign of any stiles. Zoe caught sight of Tony and Andy's headtorches down to the left, and we now realised they'd done the route before, so we made a beeline for them, and caught them up once more in the vivinity of Gaythorne Hall.<br />
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We walked together for a while up to a road junction on Coalpit Hill (wonder what they used to do there?) and then down the byway to Bank Head Farm, before we jogged on ahead down into a very sleepy Crosby Ravensworth village. It was now about 3am and just starting to get light as we trotted through the village. The next section was a long slog up a pretty little valley, first on a lane, then on green tracks through fields. We could see Tony and Andy's headtorches some way behind. My torch was off now except to look at the instructions. Zoe was very tired on this section, not so much physically, more just in terms of feeling she needed to sleep. I couldn't persuade her to eat anything or take a ProPlus either. Anyway she rallied as we reached Oddendale. It was her only bad patch really.<br />
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From here on back it was a case (largely) of following the outward route, along the quarry road and then around Hardendale Nab, with a slightly different route taking us north of the house at The Nab and down through fields to the motorway bridge. There were some pretty inquisitive horses in the first field and Zoe was a bit worried by them, so we jogged down to the motorway. After the bridge the last two kilometres back into Shap were fairly plain sailing. We arrived back at the Hall at 04:29, 19 hours and 32 minutes after we had started. I have the total distance from GPS as 103.3km.<br />
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The hall was almost deserted - there had only been one finisher since 3am. We were checked in and very well looked after with hot quiche making a really satisfacory breakfast! Tony and Andy came in three minutes after us and we were finally able to have a decent chat, having swapped places several times en route. After a while we gathered our stuff together and headed back to the Shap Wells Hotel to get some sleep.<br />
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I was pretty satsfied with this event. There wasn't any way our time was likely to set the world on fire, me three weeks after a hundred miler and with sore feet, and Zoe on her first event over 50km. But we finished joint 35th out of 89 starters and 55 finishers, and we achieved the objective of getting Zoe qualified for the Hundred. Not only that but we'd had a great and very varied big day's running and walking and really enjoyed it together.Jim Tinnionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09114544290502136378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990110376760143351.post-72117624825856790562013-06-19T13:40:00.000-07:002013-06-19T13:40:00.938-07:00LDWA Hundred - 25 and 26/06/2013<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9083203510/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Untitled by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Untitled" height="374" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7409/9083203510_2e91c35d83.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hard-earned completion certificate!</td></tr>
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The LDWA Hundred, or the Camel-Teign Ivor's Dream 100 to give it the full name, was my target event for the first half of 2013. Although I've been taking it very seriously (after all if your first hundred miler doesn't warrant a thoughtful approach what would), I'd not been able to get an consistency into long runs for several months - life just keeps getting in the way. So the prep for this was infrequent 18-25 mile long runs, a single 50k (the Marlborough Downs Challenge) and a lot of dog walking. I felt pretty fit, in fact I'd done pleasingly well on a fitness test three weeks before the event, but I was very aware I was lacking in terms of hours on my feet.<br />
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The route was on the face of it very simple, a broadly west to east traverse from Wadebridge in Cornwall to Teignmouth in Devon, crossing from the north Cornish coast to the south Devon coast in the process. The route had diversions from the straight line to take in Bodmin Moor and Kit Hill, and also took a roundabout route into Teignmouth to finish, avoiding Newton Abbot.<br />
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As a result of my poor prep, I planned to cut my cloth to suit and to start very conservatively. The first 11 miles were all on the Camel Trail out of Wadebridge and were terribly runnable, so much so that I was scared I'd go way too fast and crash and burn later. I didn't really know the next 20 miles but I did know the terrain on Bodmin Moor. This would bring us to North Hill via Bolventor (home of the Jamaica Inn), where a further moorland section would drop us down into Pensilva.<br />
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I'd reccied from there to Dartmeet on the far side of Dartmoor at Easter on the basis that Pensilva would be the point it got dark if things were going not-so-well, and by Dartmeet it would be light.<br />
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So, on to the event itself. We arrived in Wadebridge about an hour before my start time (I decided to go for 11:30 rather the 09:30 because I would end up waiting at CP2 for it to open even at a steady walk off the earlier start). I registered and dropped my breakfast bag off with a few goodies to cheer me up when I got to Tavistock.<br />
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We wandered over from the Town Hall to the start in Jubilee field next to the river at about 11:00 and while most of the 70 or so walkers and runners on this start stood around I took the weight off and lay on the grass for a while in the sun. Then it was starting time and after a couple of brief speeches and instructions we were away. The predicted cavalry charge got underway straight from the off, but I stuck to the plan and walked (albeit at about 13 minute pace) to start with.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9083185180/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Wadebridge - Mile 0 by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Wadebridge - Mile 0" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7420/9083185180_c5d140169d.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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I chatted with Wendy who’d done a 100mile track walking race recently and was telling me about it. She and her other LDWA friend Tara, also around and about, had finished 5th together, the first competitors walking with a “normal gait” apparently – although they can both crack on a bit without having to “do the waddle”. We moved along past pretty salt marshes and long abandoned railway halts to Dunmere. Here there was a drop bucket for the number (presumably to save the organisers recording 500 numbers all at once). There was cake here, and I took a tiny piece of lemon cake.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9080963765/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Camel Trail Wetlands by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Camel Trail Wetlands" height="375" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3738/9080963765_f79febb375.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9080965093/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Dunmere, CP1 by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Dunmere, CP1" height="375" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3753/9080965093_d8dd8b0a57.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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The next stage had been rerouted and followed the Camel Trail almost to Blisland, with a manned self clip where we turned off the old railway. I walked with Andrew who’d done quite a few hundreds before and chatted through my tactics, which he seemed to think were reasonable (or maybe he was being polite and not telling me that 4mph on day 2 might be a bit optimistic?) Anyway Blisland soon came and we all took a ten minute break for some refreshments. I filled my bottle and used the loo, took a jam sarnie (left the crusts) and some melon and we were soon on the way again.<br />
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The next section went down a steep single track and crossed some interestingly rough scrub land.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9080965753/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Between Blisland and St Breward - Mile 13 by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Between Blisland and St Breward - Mile 13" height="375" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3826/9080965753_2cbfe147d3.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tara leads the experienced LDWA fast walkers towards St Breward</td></tr>
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I jogged on ahead of the experienced LDWAers group (Wendy, Tara, Fabrice and Andrew) and promptly overshot the next turn, missing the gate which was supposed to be marked with a waymarker but wasn’t. The guys shouted me (loud enough in the end) and I jogged back from my 300 yard detour and caught them up as we came into the pretty village of St Breward and passed the first pub on the route (gosh that was tough). I was feeling ok and was ahead of the schedule a little here. We were soon climbing up towards the barn at Candra which was checkpoint 3, the last civilisation before Bodmin Moor.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9080966933/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Wendy striding ahead towards Candra - Mile 16 by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Wendy striding ahead towards Candra - Mile 16" height="375" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2840/9080966933_85a5d63c9a.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wendy striding ahead across the west edge of Bodmin Moor</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9083189736/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="CP3 at Candra - Mile 17 by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="CP3 at Candra - Mile 17" height="375" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3748/9083189736_f6d4f3cecc.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">CP3 at Candra (mile 17)</td></tr>
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The checkpoint looked like a plague of ravenous creatures had been through – I had a shattered sausage roll and some water and refilled my bottle, and we were away again, still mostly walking but doing a fair clip. I’d agreed with Zoe that I’d text her from Candra if i wanted to change the plan to meet at CP6 and I did this now, as I was sliding around in my new socks a bit and could feel some hotspots developing on my feet. Not good 17 miles into a 100 mile event.<br />
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Anyway we continued across the moor to reach the south ridge of Brown Willy, the highest point in Cornwall. Following the ridge up we were passing more and more of the 09:30 starters now. I reached the top a moment or two ahead of Fabrice who I’d been chatting to on the way up about the UTMB races, and walked the thirty yards from the manned checkpoint up to the summit tor (somehow I couldn’t come this close to the top and not go all the way).<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9083190348/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Catching 9:30 starters on the south ridge of Brown Willy by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Catching 9:30 starters on the south ridge of Brown Willy" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7456/9083190348_c1c8fb8e7b.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Catching 09:30 starters on the south ridge of Brown Willy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9083191278/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Tara on the way up the South Ridge of Brown Willy by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Tara on the way up the South Ridge of Brown Willy" height="375" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5322/9083191278_dc47787be3.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tara limbing towards the summit of Brown Willy</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9080969961/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Tara and Fabrice at the top of Brown Willy by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Tara and Fabrice at the top of Brown Willy" height="375" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2855/9080969961_62f8bdf649.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tara and Fabrice at the top of Brown Willy</td></tr>
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Coming off the top there was a short technical descent heading east, and I ran this and then run/walked on my own the remaining two miles or so to CP4 at Bolventor, crossing under the A30.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9080971983/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Running down to Bolventor - Mile 22 by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Running down to Bolventor - Mile 22" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7378/9080971983_0951a9912c.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Running down to Bolventor - mile 22</td></tr>
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This was the first CP with hot food, and I enjoyed a (too) small bowl of penne carbonara and a plate of apple pie and custard. Then I was away again, down the road then up the hill to a plantation before we turned south towards North Hill. I did much of this cross country leg with a fellow Shropshire entrant, Paul from Ludlow. He’d done the Houseman 100 two years ago in our home county, and was moving very well – we both mostly walked a stage which was a mixture of forest track, open moorland and finally lanes. Just before the North Hill Checkpoint, Fabrice, Tara and Wendy caught us up.<br />
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Zoe was waiting at CP5 with the socks as promised, so I went fairly quickly through the checkpoint and then to the car, where I changed my socks (but didn’t inspect or dress my feet). This was probably the biggest mistake I made on the whole event, one I’d regret in the second part of the night, and for the whole of the following day! There was a lovely steady climb from the village up onto the moor, where we picked up a former mineral railway. We skipped along the old granite sleepers which were ideally spaced for the ladies, but perhaps a little too close together for Fabrice and me. It didn’t seem to take long before we started the descent to Pensilva with the shadows now notably lengthening. Coming off the hill we could see Callington (CP7) and Kit Hill away in the distance.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9080972773/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Remains of mineral railway above Sharptor - Mile 35 by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Remains of mineral railway above Sharptor - Mile 35" height="375" src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2892/9080972773_e53e69566f.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Mineral Tramway</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9083195820/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Descending to Pensilva - Mile 36 by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Descending to Pensilva - Mile 36" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7311/9083195820_d93fe3c6c2.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Descending to Pensilva - Kit Hill and Callington visible above the plantation</td></tr>
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At Pensilva I was again fairly quickly in and out of the checkpoint (37 miles,), and then met Zoe by the car outside. It was 9pm, so I changed into my overnight clothes (t-shirt and shorts off and thermal and thicker tights on – there was already a nip in the air, I was probably walking a little more than I expected and the last thing I wanted was to be cold overnight). Fabrice, Tara, Wendy, Andrew and Paul must all have been away from here before me, and I didn’t see them again (except Fabrice, briefly, at Callington) during the event. I did the next leg on my own, passing a few more 09:30 starters, and running quite a few sections. After a couple of miles I was using my headtorch to check the directions (although I’d been here before on the reccie and did recognise quite a lot of it), and by the end of the trails two miles outside Callington it was on to walk / jog with. <br />
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I spent a few minutes in the Callington checkpoint and then went out to the car for a brief chat with Zoe. She made me a nice mug of sweet tea and walked with me up the road for the first three quarters of a mile of the next leg while I drank the tea. Saying farewell for the night I set off along a back lane that would take me up to the start of the Kit Hill climb. Somewhere along here I met Ian Walker who I’d see later on several times. We had a nice chat on the way up Kit Hill, but I felt most comfortable running the descent down a big old inclined plane so left him behind for a while. A section of rough enclosed path led onto a lane which would take me down to the checkpoint at Luckett. I’d been recording a few voice memo diary entries for my friends’ podcast “The Long Run” and did one as I got onto the road. There was a full moon, still red and low in the sky to the south, but enough to light the road sections so I could put my headtorch in my pocket and run without.<br />
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At CP8 I stopped for a 15 minute break (I guess) and took some food – mostly savouries and a cup of sweet tea on board. I later found out this was where I’d passed my friend Phil Clarke. He’d been having a rough time with his stomach and stopped here for an hour and a quarter, but he got up and got going again to finish his 6th hundred, this one in 37 hours or so. Leaving on my own again I had a peaceful walk/jog along the ridge on the Cornish side of the Tamar, with an amazing view across the valley which was filling with cotton wool mist to the opposite ridge, clothed in conifers and back lit by the moon. That ridge was in Devon, and soon I’d be at the Horsebridge where we’d cross. Almost halfway!<br />
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I did another voice recording on the way down to the bridge and then paused to take a very blurry picture of the sign before crossing into Devon. In the right county now!<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9083197168/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="Crossing Horsebridge into Devon - Mile 50 by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Crossing Horsebridge into Devon - Mile 50" height="375" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3720/9083197168_a0e0fa95ba.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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I was abruptly woken from my nightdream (kind of like a daydream but after dark) by shouts from behind as I’d managed to skip on a section of the instructions and miss a turn. A big thank you to the folks I’d just passed there. There was a steep climb up from the river through some metal kissing gates: the air was full of wild garlic and I was feeling pretty at one with the world. The next section dropped down a road to enter the forestry land around several former mines. I’d accidently drunk water from a polluted stream here on the reccie but didn’t make the same mistake twice. You only need to see a sign with the word “arsenic” on it once I suppose.<br />
<br />
At the end of the long climb through the woods I passed another couple of lads who seemed to be going quite well. We came out onto the road and after a mile crossed the B road. I was back on unknown ground now as I’d deliberately not reccied the run in to Tavistock – it was mostly road and disused railway. I was starting to really feel the soreness in my feet now, and I struggled to keep going at a steady walk over what seemed like a very long drag to the Tavistock checkpoint. I could hear the guys behind me and knew I was slowing down and starting to struggle a bit. Still, the lights of Tavistock and two interesting old viaducts helped me along and through it and I eventually dropped down into the grounds of Kelly College and the checkpoint (55 miles, 15:36 elapsed time).<br />
<br />
Coming into big checkpoints after the longer stages (especially when you’ve been solo) is a strange experience: I often find it difficult to “come round” and start interacting with folks again, especially as all the helpers are usually so hyped up and keen to help, to gee you up and help you keep going. Anyway we were led through the whole process, collecting our “breakfast bags” (although I arrived jsut after 3 am), then moving into a changing room where there were bowls and hot water and soap to wash tired (and in many cases, wounded) feet. I got my feet out of my shoes and socks and sure enough there were 50p sized blisters on the balls of both feet. Not a great discovery with 44 miles still to go, but I kind of knew they were there anyway.<br />
<br />
I cleaned and tried to drain the blisters. Hint here, a safety pin is not adequate for bursting blisters - much better something that can make a small cut. Next time I'll take a scalpel. I got the one on my right foot sorted and Compeeded up properly, but on my left foot I couldn't really drain it properly and made do, which was a bit of a mistake. I did enjoy a great bottle of chocolate milk from the breakfast bag while doing this though - that was certainly not a mistake. By this time Ian W had arrived and demonstrated the correct technique on his huge blisters using a tiny pair of nail scissors. As he cut into one blister a huge fountain of "juice" erupted from his foot. Not good.<br />
<br />
Anyway I moved on, with clean socks, to the refectory where a very nice lady tried hard to persuade me to eat a full cooked breakfast. I wasn't feeling too great and only managed a couple of sausages and a couple of tinned plum tomatoes, washed down with the obligatory sweet tea. I spoke briefly to a guy who was doing the event with his girlfriend. He looked totally out of it, and she was even worse, returning as I left from an extended stay in the smallest room. Doing my best to put the negative thoughts away I handed my breakfast bag back (it would now be taken to the finish) and set off for Princetown.<br />
<br />
It was still dark but the dawn chorus was underway as I marched the long mile towards Tavistock then up the steep sleepy suburban road to the golf course. Here the light was starting to come, and as I made my way towards Sampford Spiney a group of walkers caught up with me. We leapfrogged for a while and I was amused that a couple were repeatedly getting 50 yards ahead and then going the wrong way so I could catch up. I did tell them I'd reccied the section (it was a bit confusing in places) but they just kept on making the route up as they saw fit. 100 miles may not be so far (thanks for that b****cks, Karl Meltzer) but it's far enough you don't want to make it 110!<br />
<br />
Anyway we passed through Sampford Spiney (a beautiful hamlet) and dropped down a steep lane to cross the road and start the ascent of Dartmoor.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9080976467/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Cox Tor and Staple Tors at dawn - Mile 63 by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Cox Tor and Staple Tors at dawn - Mile 63" height="375" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5549/9080976467_df538b6e53.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cox Tor and Staple Tors from the climb to Ingra Tor</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
This wouldn't be too bad ordinarily, but at daybreak after 17 hours on the go, 64 miles into the event, I was finding it tough. Gradually the other guys around me pulled away and I found myself on my own, doing another Long Run podcast recording, climbing up to Ingra Tor. Not even this brief bit of fell-like terrain could help me and I was grinding desperately slowly upwards. Once I'd finished the audio diary, I got hold of Zoe and asked her to make her way back towards me along the railway path from Princetown. Now I had a mile on the lower section of railway and a short grassy climb to get to her. I jogged a little but mostly staggered along until I reached the upper section of the railway. After only a couple of hundred yards I met Zoe with about a mile and a quarter to go to the checkpoint.<br />
<br />
I was really struggling but tried not to let it show too much, as Zoe's steady walk easily outpaced my pathetic attempt at keeping up with a jog / shuffle. Anyway we chatted a little and I found out the cottage was nice and she'd managed a few hours of sleep overnight so that was good. Eventually we passed the fire station and walked into Princetown to the CP at the school. I went in the CP and agreed to meet Zoe at the car 50 yds down the road when I came out.<br />
<br />
Inside I came the closest to jacking it in. I pretty much had a complete physical breakdown as I had my tally clipped and sat down (more like fell into) the nearest chair.Various of the team manning the checkpoint fussed around me for a few minutes, asking whether I wanted food or tea or whatever, but I felt I couldn’t take anything. In fact I didn’t really feel much at all, I was just totally done in.<br />
<br />
After a few minutes I gathered myself enough to hobble out to the car, and flopped into the passenger seat. Zoe made me sweet tea and I dozed on and off for maybe twenty minutes enjoying the heater. I managed to eat a little fruit and drink a can of Red Bull and Zoe made me patch up my feet again, adding more Compeeds to cover widening hotspots on the balls of my feet. Eventually I got out of the car and started to make my way down the road with Zoe. We got out onto the track towards Hexworthy and I asked Zoe to come as far as the self clip while I finished the tea.<br />
<br />
I was starting to feel a little better as I clipped my tally, left Zoe and set off across the moor, catching up Ian (last seen at Tavistock). We kept each other company more or less to Hexworthy and having someone to chat to really helped pass the time. Initially the path went across the moor, then dropped down to cross the River Swincombe. <br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9083199500/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Crossing the River Swincombe - Mile 70 by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Crossing the River Swincombe - Mile 70" height="375" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3818/9083199500_0985329829.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing the River Swincombe at mile 70. The guy in red is Ian W.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We climbed across another short section of moor before dropping down to a killer Devon stile and onto the road at Hexworthy. There were several other walkers around us as we dragged up the hill to Huccaby Farm Barn (CP11 at the 72 mile mark). I was pretty slow on this leg and I’d spend a very long time at Princetown, so the split time / pace was truly awful for what should have been a fairly easy, mostly downhill five mile leg. I was also still in pretty poor spirits and not really able to eat anything, so I pushed on almost straight away to Dartmeet where I was meeting Zoe again.<br />
<br />
Dartmeet’s a beautiful spot, and even in my state it was nice to sit in the morning sun and rest for a few minutes. I was very tired though and still feeling too sorry for myself, and as I rested many other walkers came by. I had a little cry with the frustration at how slow things had got and how crap I felt, but then I started thinking more positively. It was a lovely day, and instead of thinking I still had nearly 30 miles to go I tried to think about enjoying the walk over to Ashburton. I ate a couple of cereal bars which helped, sorted my feet out for what proved to be a final time (I didn’t really want to know after that) and eventually set off with yet another mug of sweet tea, up the big hill and off towards Ashburton.<br />
<br />
To my great good fortune I had a chatty spell on the climb and started nattering on to a chap who turned out to be the guy I’d seen at Tavi with his girlfriend. Emma had struggled gamely on to Princetown, but had stopped there, unable to eat and really suffering. Dave had been on the point of canning it too, but the two of them had decided he should go on and finish. Now he was feeling pretty guilty about leaving Emma. Anyway we found we had a common interest in fell running, and started to chat about the various races and events we’d been to. I felt a bit sorry for Zoe who’d dragged all the way to the top of the hill, left out of the conversation and carrying my tea mug. She turned back for the car to go over to the next checkpoint at Ashburton as Dave and I got into our stride with the gallows humour. Here we were, two runners on a great runnable path, totally incapable of running! We plodded on, occasionally stopping to check the nav or look at the view, otherwise just plodding, spinning yarns about the fells and taking the mick about how disastrously broken we each were.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9083200858/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="Looking back to Sharp Tor - Mile 75 by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="Looking back to Sharp Tor - Mile 75" height="375" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3729/9083200858_f559b7e774.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lookng back to Sharp Tor - mile 75</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Eventually we dropped down off the moor to the River Dart, a little north of New Bridge. We came out at a car park with two of the LDWA old hands just behind us. All of a sudden there was normality, families going for picnics by the river, cars, traffic. We must have been overcome by it all and spurred into action. We saw a lady with a pram ahead of us and knew we had the speed and power to overtake her. We could have been going as fast as maybe 16 minute mile pace! We screamed past the pram and then 100 yards later hit the river. We weren’t where we were supposed to be. We walked round in circles for a bit. I’m sure I saw the lady with the pram looking at us. I’m not really sure what she made of us. Anyway eventually we consulted the route instructions and got it back together. We managed to find the path we should have been on and came out at the bridge just behind the old lags.<br />
<br />
We then had a nav wobble through the country park without realising it, as we came out in the right place, again meeting up with our shadow pair, and joining forces up to the self clip near Knowles Cross. A cruel climb up a lane eventually led to a nice descent down right into the heart of Ashburton and CP12 at 81 miles in the Methodist Church Hall.<br />
<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz82WpL5mkJ1V3B1swaRbxZOURa9dNpGD5fpzvsoj4njDF0xcrd0eXv25-UE_MIar7BCJQhkB_5hqGxLRsO_Q6nMUJEUiIEHsml6qASY7n6YTxYLxlMVGaUVE_-gdLvo_fhIxjfzJdFs5J/s1600/CT100+Ashburton+Steve+Clark+pic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz82WpL5mkJ1V3B1swaRbxZOURa9dNpGD5fpzvsoj4njDF0xcrd0eXv25-UE_MIar7BCJQhkB_5hqGxLRsO_Q6nMUJEUiIEHsml6qASY7n6YTxYLxlMVGaUVE_-gdLvo_fhIxjfzJdFs5J/s400/CT100+Ashburton+Steve+Clark+pic.jpg" width="400" wya="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dave, me and the two LDWA-ists coming into Ashburton<br />
pic: Steve Clark / LDWA</td></tr>
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Dave and I had a good eat here, but I caught Zoe on the hop a little as she’d been back to our cottage to sort out her kit so she could walk the last few miles in with us, and I hadn’t text her early enough to let her know we were arriving. For once I was ahead of schedule, even if it was a very revised one. After a good rest and some food, I met Zoe outside while Dave paid a visit to the conveniences. On we went, this time walking as a four for the first few miles with the same pair of guys we’d been keeping pace with since Dartmeet. The route followed a pleasant path above the River Ashburn for a while and then climbed fairly steeply up to Owlacombe Cross on Ashburton Down. This was a rough and stony path but somehow the company and the food were working, I’d managed to find a way to ignore my complaining feet, and we went at a good speed up the hill. Down from the cross towards Sigford we followed a very pretty Devon Lane before turning to follow Langworthy Brook across fields full of buttercups to Goodstone Woods. This was a much better spell for me and I even had energy to take a photo while Dave took a nature break just before the woods. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/95011375@N03/9083202162/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="LDWA old hands near Sigford - Mile 85 by Gaer Stone, on Flickr"><img alt="LDWA old hands near Sigford - Mile 85" height="375" src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3819/9083202162_6454105c41.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LDWA old hands about to enter the woods of doom near Sigford. We couldn't keep up, even<br />
when Dave wasn't on a nature break (you owe me several sheets of loo roll mate).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
It was a different story once we were in the trees - a very tough and slow mile and a quarter with lots of slippery roots, mud, and stream crossings took us first down the main valley and then up a side valley to emerge at Coombe Farm. Foolishly we were thinking that must be the worst over for the leg, but we were soon grumbling again as the route continued to climb up yet another stony track to the summit of Ramshorn Down. I hadn’t copped this as a significant hill from my look-throughs on the map and route description, and Ramshorn is not by any means high, but it was a real effort. At least there was a reward though as we caught our breath at the top. I looked up and saw first the deep blue sea itself, then a town lying in a valley at the edge of it which I slowly realised was Teignmouth. WE COULD SEE THE FINISH! We just stood and looked for a minute or two, both quite overwhelmed by it I think. It looked downhill. Not too far now (probably 14 miles by our route, but it looked much closer in a straight line). We were going to make it. It was four o’clock on the second day (although I had no idea of this at the time – I’d dumped the Garmin and stopped looking at the clock on my phone long since). We had the rest of the day and all night if we needed it, WE WOULD FINISH!<br />
<br />
This put a bit of a spring in our step (mentally at least) and we were soon down the long descent into Liverton – the descents were starting to hurt now, particularly in my quads. I checked with Dave and his were totalled too. Every so often one of us would feel it and go a bit sideways and the other one would start to take the p***.<br />
<br />
The checkpoint at Liverton was amazing. It was in someone’s garden, in a marquee. There was amazing stilton and broccoli soup. And mini cheddars. Lots of mini cheddars. I ate a lot. We sat around chatting. I drank tea, Dave drank full strength coke. Life was good. Then we realised we had to start again: Zoe would be waiting for us at Chudleigh Knighton. But for that 20 minutes of heaven, Teignbridge and District Scouts we salute you!<br />
<br />
The next leg was barely more than a 5k. It was also pretty much flat – a few fields, a track through a wood and past an industrial estate, and then the bog. Actually in the daytime it wasn’t too bad, we stayed on the marked route and were soon walking into Chudleigh K. In the night apparently it was altogether different and many finishers would relate how they’d only made it thanks to “Swampy” – one of the “Irregulars” (a rogue group of the LDWA if you can grasp that concept) who’d spent the night mostly alone in his bog, making sure that the occasional stragglers didn’t succumb to the mire by guiding them in to the checkpoint.<br />
Zoe was waiting for us (she’d been waiting since we left Liverton I think) but we went inside and ate anyway. Prodigious amounts of pizza topping on toast in my case. Pints of coke for Dave.<br />
<br />
Then we were off, in almost a gaggle. We crossed the River Teign (the last of the major river crossings) and then the A38. Ian had reappeared and we came across him plodding along assisted by his friend. Ian was wearing a pair of crocs. He was totally b****red but there was no way he was stopping! We climbed through fields up to a cottage at Gappah which Zoe and I had driven past on the Friday afternoon, doing our car reccie of the final sections. There was a long section of road above Chudleigh next to Ugbrooke Park (all we could see was the typical high forbidding estate wall), before a fast but quad mashing descent on more road down to pass the lakes and landscaped gardens of Ugbrooke House. Then we were climbing again, up towards Ideford, crossing under the A380. We were a mere six miles from the finish now, and very close to the last wayside checkpoint.<br />
<br />
And here began a horrible sting in the tail. I’d been flagging up the hill, Zoe was chatting with a couple of other walkers and I’d been dragging along behind. Now we started along a lane to the checkpoint. It was surfaced in sharp angular stones about 2 inches in diameter. My feet were destroyed. I tried to pick a line through the stones, walking on the flatter bits and the odd bit of hard mud rather than risk flaying my feet. But it wasn’t working. The path steepened downhill and I just had to plough on and grin and bear it. Eventually we reached a cross tracks at a bridge and the checkpoint was 50 yards off to the left. We nearly missed it but fortunately Dave and a few other guys we’d been walking with had found it.<br />
<br />
I sat down for a moment or two, but I didn’t want to stop. Now I just wanted to get the job done. Dave agreed and off we went, together with another guy (Paul Keech I think), a lady who looked out on her feet (Sue Tarr) and Zoe. After a hundred yards of relative smoothness the path went uphill, and was even worse, if that were possible, than the section before the checkpoint. I dropped in with Sue and tried to find a decent line. After 500m we were out onto a road, but still climbing. Our little group stretched and flexed but stayed broadly together, Dave and Paul out front, Zoe bridging the gap and Sue and I at the back. Having Sue to “look after” was at least taking my mind off how bad I felt. Soon we were off the road again and still climbing, this time on a retted washed out track with sections of intact old tarmac. I picked my way uphill on an endless climb. The gradient eased and we passed into woodland. The map said it was 500m to the top, but it felt like for ever. Eventually we came out onto the golf course and passed the trig point at 247m. It would be downhill (almost) all the way now.<br />
<br />
And my quads were shot. The road dropped 700 feet in a mile – there are fell races with less descent. Cruel, cruel, cruel. I dared not run. I’d fall forwards and hurt myself or my quads would seize altogether or cramp. I’d finish in an ambulance. So it was a painful but quick walk down to the outskirts of Teignmouth. The sun was setting and it was just starting to get dark. Somewhere here we passed the 100 mile mark, meaning there was a mile to go. Finally the gradient eased. Sue had gathered herself enough to check her watch. She’d started at 09:30 and was desperate to finish inside 36 hours. Would we do it? Probably...<br />
We pushed on fast through the streets of Teignmouth. Paul had dropped a little behind on the way down from the golf course. Sue was still with us. We climbed a short hill and turned to see first Dave’s girlfriend Emma, and then the gates of the Community College with a marshall. Dave and I crossed the road and ran it in, following seemingly endless tape to pass through a cloakroom into a large, brightly lit hall. People were sitting eating. A round of applause started. Someone showed us a desk in the corner which was the finish. My tally was cut from my rucksack and I’d done.<br />
<br />
Dave and I stood there. He hugged Emma. I hugged him. <br />
<br />
Sue arrived and got her own very deserved round of applause, then Paul a few minutes later. Ian? Ian made it too, an hour later than us. Those last ten miles must have been epic for him.<br />
<br />
I ate, chatted to Janet from our local Marches LDWA group, and staggered up the road to the car. Zoe hadn’t come into the hall – she doesn’t like crowds and didn’t want anyone to think she’d done the event. I said my thank yous to her later.<br />
<br />
And I'll say my thank yous to all of the people who made it possible now, particularly to the Devon & Cornwall LDWA and the Teignbridge and District Scouts. Thank you all so much. I had the experience of my life.<br />
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Jim Tinnionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09114544290502136378noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990110376760143351.post-40535734392758494132013-06-03T05:25:00.001-07:002013-07-15T15:58:48.249-07:00Marlborough Downs Challenge - 12/05/2013This was a nice 50k race from Marlborough in Wiltshire, mostly taking in the downs, as the name suggests.<br />
<br />
I was looking for an event to justify a good long run and a shakedown ahead of the LDWA Camel-Teign Ivor's Dream 100 miler, and Zoe was pleased with her South Shropshire Circular run and wanted to do a first ultramarathon. Two weeks before my hundred, this seemed perfect, with similar gradient profile to the hundred and very little road.<br />
<br />
We set off from Marlborough well enough and followed the White Horse Trail and a short section of the Wansdyke up from the town to the first checkpoint and then on through West Woods. The Wansdyke path leaves the Wansdyke itself here and diverts on a southern loop which we followed to Milk Hill. The Wansdyke is a series of <span style="color: black;">early medieval</span> defensive linear earthworks, consisting of a ditch and an embankment built from the ditch spoil, with the ditching facing north. It's very well preserved in this section and is the first of four major pieces of built heritage on the route.<br />
<br />
After Milk Hill the path rejoined the Wansdyke itself for a couple of miles, with great views to the south over the Vale of Pewsey. Then we dropped off the Wansdyke path down a farm lane skirting Bourton and on to a swing bridge over the Kennet and Avon Canal. This links the Thames at Reading with the Avon at Bath and thus forms the southernmost cross-country link in Britains canal system.<br />
<br />
I was starting to feel a bit rough at this point but couldn't quite put my finger on what was wrong. We had a short wait for a boat to pass through the swing bridge before we set off on the 3 mile towpath section to Devizes. My stomach was badly "off" and I had to walk several times on this easy section: it was a bit annoying to be losing time despite a good steady start with 10:30 min/mile pace up to the canal.<br />
<br />
By the next checkpoint in Devizes it was obvious that my problem was trapped wind, but without any meds there wasn't much I could do about it other than rubbing my stomach and trying to "free things up a bit". This started to work after a miloe or two of climbing and eventually I managed some jogging sections on the farm track leading up to Morgan's Hill.<br />
<br />
The next section dropped down to Calstone Wellington and Ranscombe Bottom before climbing Cherhill Down. This is the site of the third historic monument on the route, the White Horse. It was very impressive up close, both in its size and in terms of how white it is.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNl3I0rc0vZkpsYpwSDGb8QmRCv6jXj4Y9g_Cs3uy4h1UiBH4oWeZOaa4h5Y__Pk-PZqZdQNiVNcu52OlWqZNxCcSPJmJt6BDaTU5Xihx3H2cprQLOuUPg5Se2P4YV-krv5pniO0sChdLO/s1600/800px-Cherhill_white_horse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="140" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNl3I0rc0vZkpsYpwSDGb8QmRCv6jXj4Y9g_Cs3uy4h1UiBH4oWeZOaa4h5Y__Pk-PZqZdQNiVNcu52OlWqZNxCcSPJmJt6BDaTU5Xihx3H2cprQLOuUPg5Se2P4YV-krv5pniO0sChdLO/s400/800px-Cherhill_white_horse.jpg" width="400" yya="true" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cherhill White Horse - Pic by MacFodder, Wikimedia Commons<br />
We ran pretty much along the skyline right to left as far as the trees then<br />
dropped off the back of Cherhill.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Round the back of the trees shown above we picked up the Wessex Ridgeway path. I was able to jog much of this but my stomach was still giving me grief. We dropped down to a marshalled crossing over the A4 and then a section which seemed quite long but wasn't skirting fields to reach the next checkpoint, just west of Avebury.<br />
<br />
We didn't se much of the Avebury stone circle other than a pair of huge sarsen stones at the end of the western avenue. The village was very busy with cars and coaches, but there are some lovely houses. I was starting to get back into it now, although we were probably at the 40k mark - I'd lost 25k of the middle of the race just because I didn't have anything to settle my stomach with.<br />
<br />
From the end of the road east of Avebury we had a 4km steady climb up to Clatford Down. We jogged and powerhiked this and with Zoe's encouragement we were overtaking people for the first time in miles... We turned for home at the top across an area of boulders which wouldn't have looked out of place in northern England or Cornwall. The home run really dragged down a long gravel lane where I was again reduced to a walk several times, but at the end of this the descent steepened onto some more runnable narrower paths. I'd seen a group catching us on the gravel drive but now we were away, pushing to get some space back between us and them.<br />
<br />
The final 2km was a long traverse along the top of a field with a big dip in the middle. We took the first section fairly easy, nearly getting caught, then opened up on the 100' climb out of the dip and ran hard through to the finish - the first decent bit of running on my part for probably 25km. The time wasn't great at all (6:41 when I'd have been happier with sub 6hrs) but my suffering meant we went slowly enough that Zoe easily completed her first ultra, injury free and without really breaking a sweat other than in chivvying me along.<br />
<br />
All in all I was happy that I'd ground out a finish despite feeling very uncomfortable for most of the day, and also managed to get a good dry run for the hundred and some miles in my legs.Jim Tinnionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09114544290502136378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990110376760143351.post-32942832194147914972013-02-09T08:26:00.000-08:002013-02-09T12:27:43.194-08:00Titterstone Clee Race - 09/02/2013<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yPHp5E3o2mehcETFCQafMPD7fBXuBw2WVtmH1z6GH-mWeoKHZXuamPtXKxvb-5r7ieH3rGY5Lo1rklRJjsHdZ27j6cZ-3XgRitkrmF0gVui1s_aszCJHwRESqc1nERxBSpCCg4tObEjj/s1600/812560_10151275295139103_1509895860_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7yPHp5E3o2mehcETFCQafMPD7fBXuBw2WVtmH1z6GH-mWeoKHZXuamPtXKxvb-5r7ieH3rGY5Lo1rklRJjsHdZ27j6cZ-3XgRitkrmF0gVui1s_aszCJHwRESqc1nERxBSpCCg4tObEjj/s400/812560_10151275295139103_1509895860_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Talented bunch of athletes waiting to start, whereas I just want me bed.<br />
Picture by Andrea Frost - thank you Andrea.</td></tr>
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A day after my birthday (which I spent relaxing at a spa no less), one of my favourite races has come round again. I love the Clee race as it's at the heart of tradition. Until this year we've turned up, leant in a car window to register, then just run up a hill we can't see and down again (occasionally via the wrong valley).<br />
<br />
This year we had a slightly more upmarket venue for registration in Cleeton St Mary village hall, which seemed to work well.<br />
<br />
After a nice warm-up with Andy D and Mark B, doing a mini reccie of Lloyd Taggert's new line (which is now a very clear trod running straight as a die for the summit), I jogged back to the start. A few late comers meant I was a little cold as we started but at least I'd got my legs moving enough to keep up with the pack on the stampede along the road.<br />
<br />
As we cut across up towards the fell side, I followed the reccied line, ignoring a few I thought had started a bit quickly, but then managing to pass Paul B and others who'd perhaps started a little too enthusiastically. I eventually managed to tuck in behind Paul C and followed him up for the first part of the climb. There were a few short sections of hiking but mostly we ran. About 2/3rds of the way up Paul started to hike again and I managed to move past him and then pushed on for the top, arriving with a group of runners including Chris A and Eddie D just in front of me. I was really pleased with the climb.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Round the summit, two places behind Eddie and ahead of Paul. Whatever next?<br />
Pic: Al Tye, <a href="http://www.fellrunningpictures.co.uk/titterstoneclee2013.html">Fell Running Pictures</a></td></tr>
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Al wished me happy birthday as I rounded the cairn (it won't be a great pic, I think I had snot all over my face). On the way down I ran hard but fairly comfortably. Mud Claws would have been a slightly better choice of footwear really. Paul C came flying past me and then I managed to pass a runner. A further runner came past and I settled into trying to limit his and Paul's lead on me. I pushed on nicely to the finish and fairly comfortably held off the guy I'd passed on the descent.<br />
<br />
My time was 23:37: I'd done 25:10 the last time I ran this in 2011. I'm therefore pleased with a PB by a minute and a half, and also a top 20 finish in a bigger field than two years ago.<br />
<br />
Paul C, Andy D and I went for a warm down jog and as we started to descend, we came across Keith who told us we had a few runners missing. A runner came over the skyline and told us that two others were helping a third runner down who fallen and maybe knocked himself out when he hit his chin and chest, He was struggling to stand up and was clearly not too great. I ran down to the road and got a car organised to take him up to the village hall as Andy and Paul took over in assisting him off the hill. We called a paramedic when it became clear he was still a bit groggy and he was off to hospital last I heard. Best wishes to John Hart for a speedy recovery.<br />
<br />
The way the guys (Steve Roode, James Whiffen and Tony Maycroft) who saw the incident reacted brings great credit on them - they instantly gave up their own races, stopped, got the injured guy dressed up in his windproof and then assessed his condition, helped him to a place of safety and sent for help. This really brings home the important message that we need to be prepared to switch from racing to helping each other to safety, and that we must have the necessary kit to keep warm if we can't run. The guys today were great and I'm intensely proud of both them and to be part of our fantastic sport.Jim Tinnionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09114544290502136378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990110376760143351.post-41021690036297181372013-01-08T05:25:00.002-08:002013-01-08T05:29:28.446-08:00Trig Points Race - 06/01/2013<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7zOlrYqHOhiQRHK_V_5Br5gsO4jIpXGPn8fQ0ma8QRRFi3dvY2Vl-ar24AyoK85gXaGCtOdCBP3b_vq6KbiijtH5oRXLpNYqtyYUF4_w-dAehi0dOTmwXgS4NfEttmlF5ceFj9-FrOok/s1600/8353391783_21559130c7_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEij7zOlrYqHOhiQRHK_V_5Br5gsO4jIpXGPn8fQ0ma8QRRFi3dvY2Vl-ar24AyoK85gXaGCtOdCBP3b_vq6KbiijtH5oRXLpNYqtyYUF4_w-dAehi0dOTmwXgS4NfEttmlF5ceFj9-FrOok/s400/8353391783_21559130c7_o.jpg" width="269" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Coming into Moors Gorse - pic Colin Williamson<br />
Zoe isn't sure whether she's going to throw the gel<br />
back up or wash it down.</td></tr>
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The Cannock Chase Trigs race is a nice winter warmer, fairly flat and fast but generally on good trails. There's a significant element of nav, not so much in devising the optimal route on the map - that's an open secret - but in translating the mapped route into the correct turns and trails on the ground. Climbing and descending ability isn't much of a factor, it's more about being able to run at a decent clip for almost all of the 16 and a bit miles. Zoe has just started her training for the London Marathon, and didn't know the route at all. She's (currently) fairly similar paced to me on flatter traily stuff so we decided to run together. On the Saturday we had a quick go through and decided 2:30 would be a stretching but achievable target time. I ran 2:39:49 in 2011, the only other time I've done this event.<br />
<br />
We started with an inefficient route choice over the hill by the start instead of round it (my fault, although I enjoyed a minute or two chatting to Paul Cadman before he got his proverbial in gear). Then Zoe's ankle (she'd buggered it in a fall on a road tempo run three days earlier) started to play up, so a couple of biref stops to sort that left us well down the field at the first checkpoint at Rifle Range.<br />
<br />
We ran reasonably comforatably down to Moors Gorse, passing a couple of folk, and getting a gel down just before the railway and road crossing. This year Bob, the RO, has introduced SI timing and to ensure everyone's safety a 2 minute allowance was made each way so folk didn't have to race across the railway and busy road. We made the most of it, taking a minute to have a drink and sort kit before starting the climb towards Beaudesert. I had a very momentary nav stutter about two hundred yards before the road crossing.<br />
<br />
On the way up from Beaudesert to Castle Ring the faster runners were flying down the hill towards us and it was nice to shout up friends and get encouragement as the passed. One of the nicest bits of longer races is points where the route doubles back and you can do this (I'm thinking of the Lawley and Earl's Hill on the Longmynd Hike too). We walked a bit of the climb to Castle Ring - I could have run but Zoe's ankle was really giving her pain on the steeper bits of ascent. Still this was a good leg and we were overtaking people, a few at a time.<br />
<br />
We ran well back down to Beaudesert and on to Brereton Spurs, Zoe setting a cracking 8:00 pace on the road so much so that I was wondering how long it would be before she dropped me. Just as this somewhat unpleasant thought crept into my mind, the road kicked up and I was able to bring all the hill triaing to bear and catch up. We took the marked route down from the spurs and a Mow Cop couple passed us just as we merged - I reckon as a pair we'd have been quicker by the road in hindsight as Zoe wasn't that quick down this rough kilometre.<br />
<br />
Back at Moors Gorse we took another drink and a quick passage over the road (thanks Tom) and railway (thanks Network Rail) meant we could rest for 30 seconds before dibbing to start the next (and toughest) leg. This takes runners up from Moors Gorse, past the Visitor Centre, down to the head of Sherbrook Valley and then up to the Glacial Boulder trig. The climb out of Moors Gorse isn't steep but it's tough after 11 or 12 miles of running. We ran the first half and hiked the second half, passing a few runners en route. Hitting the longest road section Zoe was quickly on the pace again, and as I was feeling quite good we took it in turns to lead and made a cracking pace for the next 2 km. I got the nav right on the drop into and climb out of Sherbrook Valley and we were at the boulder quite rapidly - this was our best leg, about 50th fastest of the 133 runners.<br />
<br />
We were passing people fairly thick and fast by now, coming across a tired looking Andrew Brooke just after the control. I gave him some encouragement and we set off hard to the incline and down that. We were about 4 minutes from home with 5 to go before the target time of 2:30 when I made a horrible nav error at the bottom of the incline and instead of going straight on down the final section for some reason I thought the pool was on the wrong side and went right instead. This gave us an extra quarter mile and a steep 130' of climbing that no-one else had to do. We lost nearly four minutes and 15 places, finally finishing a bit deflated in 79th equal place, 2:32:17.<br />
<br />
Never mind, lesson learned. We'd run fast enough for a 2:30 finish, so job done there, and we'd each only lost a couple of points in the Mercia champs (in a race which probably won't be a counter for me, and possibly not for Zoe).<br />
<br />
Resolution: do the race again and aim for 2:25 or better. Reccie the start/finish properly, and also sort out the section through then campsite etc between the Rifle Range and The visitor centre car park where I only got the right line by following others. I've marked my race maps with the correct route since finishing because reading the map is easier if you know instantly which path you are intending to take!Jim Tinnionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09114544290502136378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990110376760143351.post-46569278370186123672013-01-04T04:08:00.002-08:002013-01-08T05:34:22.819-08:00Christmas and Training to 06/01/2013 A trial run of embedding pages from my Garmin Connect site to create a training diary quickly. If it doesn't work I'll go back to just covering events on here...<br />
<br />
Week commencing 24/12/2012: I mostly concentrated on relaxing after Tour de Helvellyn and enjoying the Christmas holiday. We had a nice run on Boxing Day from Coln St Aldwyn to Bibury in the Costwolds, watched the charity duck race (our duck didn't win), dranked mulled wine and ran back. Then it was out on the Mynd on the Sunday for 8 miles (the easy 8) of the Longmynd Valleys race route. The headwind on the usually runnable Portway section was a bit unwelcoming but we had a great time. A mere 2 runs and 3:05 of training: 14 miles and 2,500' of climbing almost all on trail or fell.<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="560" src="http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/255052784" width="500"></iframe><br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="560" src="http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/257064322" width="500"></iframe><br />
Week commencing 31/12/2012: Another rather limp start to the week due to New Year's Eve and the aftermath, but I got in a good hill reps session on Wednesday 2nd and ran a hard road tempo run the following day (albeit a bit interrupted stopping first because Zoe tripped badly on a deep pothole, and then because I needed a pee). On the Saturday I did a fairly rapid whizz round one of the suggested routes on the Nesscliffe Permanent Orienteering Course. With the trig points race this gives me 4 runs lasting a total of 5:19, covering 31 miles and 4,000' of climbing. I'm looking forward to getting back to some decent climbing sessions as Tuesday night runs start again for me now.<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="560" src="http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/257064297" width="500"></iframe><br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="560" src="http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/257718743" width="500"></iframe><br />
<iframe width='500' height='560' frameborder='0' src='http://connect.garmin.com:80/activity/embed/258163619'></iframe>Jim Tinnionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09114544290502136378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990110376760143351.post-38543747202021214312012-12-29T16:37:00.000-08:002013-01-01T22:06:06.437-08:00Cardington Cracker - 02/12/2012<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGit3umHSSAdkIAf3rqjOpFsG3JFlNUHKLYQdV4QSmQhyRYbYJ9jLHNczYmHinsCLAYsKGjvs9bGfgaemsAxxKhQU9YglX8HlfTlgEgLRu54np2e3VMyIcfVwKwK6trmCWVSNe8j5gpy2/s1600/FRP_1134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmGit3umHSSAdkIAf3rqjOpFsG3JFlNUHKLYQdV4QSmQhyRYbYJ9jLHNczYmHinsCLAYsKGjvs9bGfgaemsAxxKhQU9YglX8HlfTlgEgLRu54np2e3VMyIcfVwKwK6trmCWVSNe8j5gpy2/s400/FRP_1134.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing the summit of Caer Caradoc</td></tr>
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I woke up feeling absolutely lousy on the morning of the Cracker, and it took some serious persuading from Zoe to get me out there. Zoe's friend Jo was staying and they'd decided to come and watch so in the end that was the deciding factor and I was running!<br />
<br />
It was nice to meet everyone again and I was feeling a bit better by the start, but I was caught napping when Paul started the race and ended up a very long way back at the first gateway. I overtook a few people in the fields and up the first little bank on the way to Enchmarsh and eventually found myself descending towards the Lawley just behind Val, probably about the right position in the field but it had cost me some effort.<br />
<br />
For some reason (maybe the virus I reckon I have had which had made me feel so bad when I got up), I just switched off on the Lawley climb and sat in my comfort zone over the top, on the descent (Em and Archie were at the bottom supporting - thanks guys) and also up the Caradoc. Don't get me wrong, I worked a bit but I wasn't anything like flat out. I did run the final section of the climb past Al, which at least got me a nice pic. I cruised the Caradoc descent too, crossing the stream 7 minutes or so slower than last year.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Race face on, working up to the summit of Caradoc</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Descending past the gate at Three Fingers Rock</td></tr>
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Zoe and Jo were at the gate as you start the long slog up Hazler Woods and this geed me up a bit. I ran all of it, although I think sometimes it's no quicker than walking. I spotted Pete Johnson up ahead and decided to try to close the gap on him. I worked a little harder on the way up to the Gaer Stone and enjoyed the fast run across the Bowdler Hills, working hard to run a lot of the short rises I had to walk last year. As I got to the Gaer Stone, the gap to Pete had come down quite a bit and I was able to pass him on the rough descent here. The path which Pete was using was very muddy and slippery so I ran on the bilberry to the side which was much easier.<br />
<br />
The gates at the bottom were open this year which was good - no one likes vaulting / climbing / whaling over 4' high gates when they're tired. This marks the start of a 2 mile steeplechase in to the finish. I tried to run the entire field up to the Old Cardington Lane, and managed it! One runner passed me shortly after as we headed along the seemingly unending ridge which follows, but he'd been overtaking me on all the flat bits, I guess he just had more speed. Otherwise I was passing people.<br />
<br />
Charlie was at the first of the stiles on the final run in, encouraging me to pick off the last two runners in front of me, but in the end I just didn't have the speed or energy, and ran in in 1:40 for 96th place.<br />
<br />
It was pleasing that I'd managed a decent run given the givens, but I'd have liked to be five minutes faster than in 2011, rather than a minute slower. The conditions were more difficult this year. I beat quite a few folk that I didn't beat last year and finished in exactly the same position. I was also pleased to have been able to run the second half of the race much quicker than last year - I put this down to more and better training: I'm quicker on the flat than I was. I just need to get in touch with my inner climbing animal again - it seems to have gone missing since Callow and the CCC.Jim Tinnionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09114544290502136378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990110376760143351.post-5359962187618659632012-12-29T16:36:00.002-08:002013-01-01T22:18:46.024-08:00Tour de Helvellyn - 22/12/2012<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPT3CNvhyphenhyphenU3OA1ij-2tSl4wY3kXb5L0oRnrp0aHzmu4ecX-e2_ljXDJyK3uUDRCdCfJmM-W6KXoW3-1cXcnuBulF2xHkMl2ZVFuo3Y2soIIzf5n03JvWZgV9JionQju-Tsk05gZMo4mfNk/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-12-28+at+09.39.05.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPT3CNvhyphenhyphenU3OA1ij-2tSl4wY3kXb5L0oRnrp0aHzmu4ecX-e2_ljXDJyK3uUDRCdCfJmM-W6KXoW3-1cXcnuBulF2xHkMl2ZVFuo3Y2soIIzf5n03JvWZgV9JionQju-Tsk05gZMo4mfNk/s400/Screen+Shot+2012-12-28+at+09.39.05.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arriving at the Swart Beck checkpoint, pleased to see Stuart</td></tr>
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<div>
I signed up for Tour de Helvellyn after I'd ducked out of the Long Mynd Hike, as I wanted to complete one more ultramarathon this year (total six I think - 2 at Pilgrim's Way, the Brecon 40, the WOW, the CCC and TdeH). I'd tried to do the race last year but a combination of a party the night before and atrocious road conditions on the drive from Shropshire to the Lakes put paid to an early start and meant that I was a long way behind the field for much of the day. I called it quits after about 20 miles and a big struggle over Sticks Pass in total whiteout conditions.</div>
<br />
This year I learned from some of the mistakes and drove up the night before, staying on the floor in the event centre at Askham Village Hall.<br />
<br />
I woke at six after a fairly fitful night's sleep and had a fairly leisurely preparation, chatting with Joe, Keith and Pauline, Nick Ham, Adrian Donnelly and Dale Colclough and his partner Den. The event format allows starts from seven until nine, but the first manned checkpoint, at Patterdale about 10 miles in, only opens at 9:30. I'd decided to start about quarter to eight so the checkpoint would be open and any rush of waiting runners would be gone before I got there.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoN0onCnPwngRUMXihm9aAtZHh9MM_-0Js0fv79HPPYCcukej2VFOnZpGjytOX_J6luUWAV9U_KdmSWKrBd00-ocatp_MQYKRe-rc6JLlYD7fURelahsin4f7Lv4cpuhyphenhyphenx_fknD8jNUxUT/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-12-28+at+09.34.50.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="273" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoN0onCnPwngRUMXihm9aAtZHh9MM_-0Js0fv79HPPYCcukej2VFOnZpGjytOX_J6luUWAV9U_KdmSWKrBd00-ocatp_MQYKRe-rc6JLlYD7fURelahsin4f7Lv4cpuhyphenhyphenx_fknD8jNUxUT/s400/Screen+Shot+2012-12-28+at+09.34.50.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely relaxing cup of tea, thank you Pauline!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOIqhQU0SlbLYdgLI4XVy6-Nfko9maw4t6rGORnHWyARHPCur7ukk7i3WUAdpiJdxenYEal6HwJq6vMZ3TJ0clmkUK8lnUe48BH1Ucla5Icodw2I2yjj_J8RwEZSqAMAxHxVERusLeSoCT/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-12-28+at+09.36.10.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOIqhQU0SlbLYdgLI4XVy6-Nfko9maw4t6rGORnHWyARHPCur7ukk7i3WUAdpiJdxenYEal6HwJq6vMZ3TJ0clmkUK8lnUe48BH1Ucla5Icodw2I2yjj_J8RwEZSqAMAxHxVERusLeSoCT/s400/Screen+Shot+2012-12-28+at+09.36.10.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Having a natter before the start...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
In the event Adrian started about ten minutes before me and Dale a couple of minutes after me, so I ran the first couple of miles up to Askham Common on my own. Here, Dale caught me up and we ran together comfortably over Moor Divock and down to Howtown where Dale showed me a handy short cut to the road which cuts a little distance and a bit of muddy trail off at the cost of 50' of extra climbing. We walked purposefully up to the church at Martindale where I was able to spot the dibber and kite easily having done the event before. (1:04 from start)<br />
<br />
Onwards along the road into Boredale and I were nicely matched for pace and managed a good conversation until the top of the Hause where I let him run on as I felt I'd gone rather faster than I originally had intended. I dropped into the Patterdale checkpoint 50 minutes after leaving Martindale.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
The next stage climbs up to Greenside and then on to the footbridge over the Swart Beck on the Sticks Pass path, where Stu from NAV4 was waiting with his camera and the dibber for CP3. I went quite well up here, passing Dale and Adrian before Dale repassed me near the checkpoint. (45 minutes from Patterdale, 2:40 total)<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihnVhj3OFKStTIdZ6zM6I6QDz9kjDw4czlwzUV1h5W7o0I1jfQ48l05wrLtwcoyMoj5dESYWxxxV-gHjRDf88aur3jILG4tIOfArFSA97ZOlDh0w43gZK0H9smDsZiV8trsBgOY31y1yFc/s1600/TDH+1_0014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihnVhj3OFKStTIdZ6zM6I6QDz9kjDw4czlwzUV1h5W7o0I1jfQ48l05wrLtwcoyMoj5dESYWxxxV-gHjRDf88aur3jILG4tIOfArFSA97ZOlDh0w43gZK0H9smDsZiV8trsBgOY31y1yFc/s400/TDH+1_0014.jpg" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Passing the SportSunday camera lady at Greenside</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvk_IpB20wCHeE5Ugii2JxCqQAeXcRUdvoj5IUpVUTPBDEkfkyYwxHK8PZKagwEEruj2M3pyjm68CU5y75w-ZxMbAAYftG9x7lR8OuRojWsY3Q47_Nsg6Uh98jOC0A4W2pNfpt3Dsfo2U/s1600/TDH+1_0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwvk_IpB20wCHeE5Ugii2JxCqQAeXcRUdvoj5IUpVUTPBDEkfkyYwxHK8PZKagwEEruj2M3pyjm68CU5y75w-ZxMbAAYftG9x7lR8OuRojWsY3Q47_Nsg6Uh98jOC0A4W2pNfpt3Dsfo2U/s400/TDH+1_0016.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Closely followed by Adrian and Dale</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTgV6pAPD3qXlNZpdyQk-q29a626k45BGnOVaOIU5BQ8PrEYU6p_ZSqS-Dn1S7UfmPffZJWCkM0oLtaY4qnN2iMTwcoupzKTzEttiI1fHEKQhRrmIb7iQD7NO5YXUKfzZZ77Qoi2829zc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-12-28+at+09.39.53.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="196" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPTgV6pAPD3qXlNZpdyQk-q29a626k45BGnOVaOIU5BQ8PrEYU6p_ZSqS-Dn1S7UfmPffZJWCkM0oLtaY4qnN2iMTwcoupzKTzEttiI1fHEKQhRrmIb7iQD7NO5YXUKfzZZ77Qoi2829zc/s400/Screen+Shot+2012-12-28+at+09.39.53.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nice impressionist view of other competitors approaching Swart Beck</td></tr>
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The remaining section to Sticks Pass is more gently graded and was much easier than last year with only a few small patches of slushy snow. The route at the top was obvious (straight on across the main ridge path) and I continued on down through ankle deep freezing water which eventually turned my feet into solid unyielding lumps. I told myself they'd warm up when I was lower down and on drier ground. The rain was still falling fairly steadily but my newish less running more mountaineering style kit (Quecha thermal, Haglofs Stem II mid layer and bargain Berghaus Etive Gore-Tex Paclite Cag) was keeping me reasonably dry and even on the pass I wasn't desperately cold. Some gloves which fitted would have helped though, and I nearly put my fleece on.<br />
<br />
The descent down to Stanah is marginally easier to the right and I followed a quicker runner who'd just passed me on the way down. I got to Stanah 43 minutes after leaving Swart Beck (3:23 total). At this point I'd decided to bail last year and hiked up the road to Swirls so I didn't know the rest of the route intimately.<br />
<br />
From Stanah to Swirls the route uses the public right of way following the intake wall above the fields of Thirlspot. This is probably the most technical section of the route, mostly singletrack and with lots and lots of rocks embedded in the path. I took the opportunity to take on a bit of water and half a Go-Ahead bar, walking quite a bit of this section before dropping into Swirls car park to meet Den and a couple of other check point staff. 26 minutes from Stanah (3:49 total).<br />
<br />
I dumped a sarnie which I guessed I wasn't going to eat with Den, took on a few bits of banana and set off on the forest road towards Dunmail. I was quickly passed by a couple of quicker guys and then made the first of two dodgy route decisions, choosing to go down the forest road and then climb up again to the end of the woods rather than use the permissive traversing path used by many of the other runners. I think this probably cost a minute or two - it gave Adrian the opportunity to catch and pass me just before the next checkpoint at Birkside Gill which I reached in 41 minutes from Swirls (4:30 total).<br />
<br />
Immediately after the checkpoint there's a choice to either continue along the intake wall to Dunmail and then use the "gutter" path up to Grisedale Tarn, or to take a more direct line climbing up onto the brilliantly named Willie Wife Moor and contouring round into Raise Beck just below the col. I chose the latter option and it was very tough, on rough ground, and I was conscious I was moving quite slowly. Eventually I reached the beck, crossing it at the only point I could see which was safe (it was very full) and then using the path for the final couple of hundred yards up to the col. I made ehavy weather of the boggy section round the tarn and down towards Ruthwaite Lodge and finally realised something wasn't right with a lot of folk passing me. I was hungry so I ate - two more Go Aheads and a gel. This got me going again and by the flatter section of the valley I was running reasonably well again. After a minor road rage incident with (you guessed) a white van, I jogged into the Patterdale checkpoint 1:54 after leaving Birkside Gill, and 6:23 total time. The loop round Helvellyn took four and a half hours. This was easily my worst leg.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKrG42dWbw6daMnMNSa757lToF3SRkhlv2sqlEJaWAoDuFaZwjkR0YIcgjuBHMzhC3VBB8ixiuhQ0nJ-byJGBezeKAGAw0OcleJ-rQafD-HoEgP8nBKYS9HkgAa2OoJ8xbkiiVwjjRGwC/s1600/278299_387152498038988_1442241883_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuKrG42dWbw6daMnMNSa757lToF3SRkhlv2sqlEJaWAoDuFaZwjkR0YIcgjuBHMzhC3VBB8ixiuhQ0nJ-byJGBezeKAGAw0OcleJ-rQafD-HoEgP8nBKYS9HkgAa2OoJ8xbkiiVwjjRGwC/s400/278299_387152498038988_1442241883_o.jpg" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just after leaving Patterdale to climb to Boredale Hause</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Here I had a quick few words with Stu and Joe, grabbed some banana and some crisps and walked through to Side Farm deliberately keeping moving but using the flat section to eat and sort my kit out for the push back to Askham. I climbed up to Boredale with Marie Mitton who was going pretty well. We used the main path, which is longer, but more easily graded. At the top Marie met her friend Helen, and I pushed on, descending the path into Boredale quite efficiently. I slowed a bit after the road junction and Marie and Helen and myself leapfrogged each other to the next checkpoint at Martindale (1:11 from Patterdale, 7:34 total).<br />
<br />
Marie and three others with her went the high route from Martindale so I decided to try to grab a bit of ground back by using Dale's lower route again. I popped out on the path well ahead of them so stopped at a bench, drank some water and ate two thirds of a KitKat then got going again, alternately walking and running the fairly interminable section along the top of the fields above Ullswater. Eventually this starts to climb quite steeply and I hit the climb just after being passed by one of the more elite runners. He came straight back to me on the climb so I asked if he was ok and foisted the rest of my KitKat off on him. It must have worked because he got going again and passed me up by the stone circle. I was glad there were a lot of runners about as it was getting dark now and together we were able to set the right course across Moor Divock and hit the track spot on for the run in to Askham. I did most of this in company of another runner, and stayed in touch enough to find the quick way in to the finish, where Keith and Martin Stone were waiting with the final dibber and a results print out.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcr6qXKYTIFarvptk0LDWU692HiiX9besPV_I6xpspgOXBMErm4XMrQtw1GvjUfMqiZQRiM9mn2-YP7HH2SiPDEksxwqYMewVpUPxxMs6OBZ6yQjWosbZnVvR41x3BGmJgC9v_2BMzZOKW/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-12-28+at+09.42.55.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcr6qXKYTIFarvptk0LDWU692HiiX9besPV_I6xpspgOXBMErm4XMrQtw1GvjUfMqiZQRiM9mn2-YP7HH2SiPDEksxwqYMewVpUPxxMs6OBZ6yQjWosbZnVvR41x3BGmJgC9v_2BMzZOKW/s400/Screen+Shot+2012-12-28+at+09.42.55.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martin Stone and Keith Richards manning the finishing checkpoint with style!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I finished 67th of 128 finishers and 148 starters in 9:04:48 and was 25th MV40 of 50 MV40 finishers.<br />
<br />
Overall I was pretty pleased with this, off very little distance work at all. My longest run since the CCC had been about 15 miles, and I've had no consistency with the long runs at all. It was a very enjoyable day out in the hills and a great learning experience as ever. Thanks to Joe and all his helpers at NAV4.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELYSxcTeqheylCNHMoCY1V8O2u5VdTjFoNmQRriYrlv4dbACwQyoiB-_3XChXXV0xggoERn4PEyTXHat3ar-xNM4h7G7SH0__qzbh0xrezWcncFjLXOESNYGyTs-c6TnaOFRho4Er0DWg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-12-28+at+09.43.25.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgELYSxcTeqheylCNHMoCY1V8O2u5VdTjFoNmQRriYrlv4dbACwQyoiB-_3XChXXV0xggoERn4PEyTXHat3ar-xNM4h7G7SH0__qzbh0xrezWcncFjLXOESNYGyTs-c6TnaOFRho4Er0DWg/s400/Screen+Shot+2012-12-28+at+09.43.25.png" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Joe, a top event organiser, and Joe's soup, the best!</td></tr>
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<br />Jim Tinnionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09114544290502136378noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990110376760143351.post-29943347421239932942012-11-30T00:47:00.001-08:002012-11-30T00:47:42.040-08:00Time Trial - 25/11/2012<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNT0VPBaP38cntk4EcwGoPAmmRS1dxXkKE5A7-VZ-C8hUFvHrMH3hdo8A-6GItKYIyZxun3K-pyRtSybyAj6RpuCwJo7Xjsq7dnftA1F2kyg4pu9qFiFTZMDC-w_f06xO8TKQMTr68KjJ/s1600/IMG_2616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghNT0VPBaP38cntk4EcwGoPAmmRS1dxXkKE5A7-VZ-C8hUFvHrMH3hdo8A-6GItKYIyZxun3K-pyRtSybyAj6RpuCwJo7Xjsq7dnftA1F2kyg4pu9qFiFTZMDC-w_f06xO8TKQMTr68KjJ/s400/IMG_2616.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoe on the run back, descending to Ashes. There is not normally any kind<br />
of watercourse this high in the Batch.</td></tr>
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The Time Trial is one of my favourite events of the year. Get from Little Stretton to Stiperstones as fast as you can, whichever way you like, on foot. Realistically this means crossing the Mynd and Stiperstones ridges.<br />
<br />
This year I'd decided to run as a mixed pair with Zoe (I've done male pair and solo previously, so I've now completed the set of categories I can enter without surgical intervention). We wanted to run back too, but I knew that we could get a lift if we needed to so that didn't slow us down.<br />
<br />
We set off up Ashes Hollow at a reasonable rate only to run into a horribly muddy patch in the second field. It was pretty wet all the way up to the road. Zoe was a bit slower than me on the steep climb so thankfully I was able to get a bit of a breather a couple of times to prepare me for the road section. Andy Davies came hiking past at a pretty rapid rate up here on his way to an excellent 65 minute time. A good choice of line led us through light and burned off heather to the fingerpost and the road.<br />
<br />
Predictably Zoe pushed on well to the Wildmoor hairpin, where I stopped to attend to my shoelace while she climbed the short rise, knowing I could catch her on the descent. Getting back on the road we met Rachael, Leena and Giz and I had a quick chat as it was Zoe's turn to deal with shoelaces!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgosLfYVOTZpSIqJiPE47BaLxDOxjIozA6IWDnExdSqqQog8FVv6zW6zG-NRTJvZ2WUbo5xY5KAkkUEyBpDqi-fRFlgUQ4nARna2pbwgtIbVRm5YqiL1i-UOgx4gLtmmvTusSKkYv_8TG9g/s1600/IMG_2614.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgosLfYVOTZpSIqJiPE47BaLxDOxjIozA6IWDnExdSqqQog8FVv6zW6zG-NRTJvZ2WUbo5xY5KAkkUEyBpDqi-fRFlgUQ4nARna2pbwgtIbVRm5YqiL1i-UOgx4gLtmmvTusSKkYv_8TG9g/s400/IMG_2614.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just before we caught Rachael, Leena and Giz - Zoe's ready to re-lace!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Zoe pushed me very hard all the way up to Hollies Farm, where the pace slowed a bit mostly owing tot the heaviness of the ground. The bog on the corner looked horrible and I stayed on the farm track, but after that it was grim up to the nature reserve boundary. A quick bit of running up to Shepherd's Rock and we were on the descent. Zoe made a pretty good fist of it and we were able to pass Kim and her friend, stopping to help each other over the field edge and at the gate. I flew the last section to be ready to dib when Zoe finished so unfortunately Stuart never got a picture of the two of us finishing. 92 minutes and change - pretty good for a reforming roadie - Zoe's running better everytime she does an off-road event :-)<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHR9isDKdO_xFv3otqltX3UXNJbVIH9q51kphiQM8e8mwd3Ft1I6nuXqP7-ZqqK4JdO3IofXnPkVsHHkUhGZbFBAcYcWSmS3WQ_NdI-T0fNLTMKlWA29yijUu3jZWp_NgbgeI_zIkc-_I/s1600/8225930931_22d11a8714_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvHR9isDKdO_xFv3otqltX3UXNJbVIH9q51kphiQM8e8mwd3Ft1I6nuXqP7-ZqqK4JdO3IofXnPkVsHHkUhGZbFBAcYcWSmS3WQ_NdI-T0fNLTMKlWA29yijUu3jZWp_NgbgeI_zIkc-_I/s400/8225930931_22d11a8714_z.jpg" width="266" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoe finishing (pic: <a href="http://www.highsports.co.uk/">High Sports</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4aPbwqmAIwtVAi5Uy9jZfB40ZBkrRlvFgmSpuJ1KK0waxCbK2oqNV2hfQ2cj6gmPzORj2ffGH5tATNfhlokmXqUD-DksCdQ3ypUL_pEvDMJDi7sLmg6RkOTY906ytzQBDo7TKhyphenhyphenlSpDSc/s400/8227002810_7870399eb7_z.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="265" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I overtook a car :-) It wasn't going fast!<br />
(pic: <a href="http://www.highsports.co.uk/">High Sports</a>)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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We had a nice natter in the pub and a good, easy trip back in worsening weather.Jim Tinnionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09114544290502136378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990110376760143351.post-8239302734698002912012-11-19T23:11:00.005-08:002012-11-19T23:11:59.196-08:00Penmaenmawr Fell Race - 17/11/2012<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigeoWoJCtRWoB-wsBp0zMu_OCgD27VSvThvJUqQ2DYZAU3aS4e_pnZCjloUMJdb-AAV1Y5m3SZYqTtkxzttjR3slzQtMfS4HrVpwc_oRcxLyI9n_FtDt5aTiHIVU5VidQJpZtw80pp5BeM/s1600/FRP_0523.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigeoWoJCtRWoB-wsBp0zMu_OCgD27VSvThvJUqQ2DYZAU3aS4e_pnZCjloUMJdb-AAV1Y5m3SZYqTtkxzttjR3slzQtMfS4HrVpwc_oRcxLyI9n_FtDt5aTiHIVU5VidQJpZtw80pp5BeM/s400/FRP_0523.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the top of the initial climb, Irish Sea behind, off to CP1 in the sunshine!</td></tr>
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Today's training was a little different for me - I've been wanting to run in a race and really concentrate on enjoying it for a while now (probably since the Hike if not before) and, as I knew I'd be over in North Wales to support Zoe at the Conwy Half this weekend I thought I'd enter a nearby race on the Saturday. Fortunately I checked the calendar in advance, because Pen is a pre-entry only race (seems to work for them).<br />
<br />
The route really suited what I wanted to do which was an easy to steady effort of around 10 miles - it's hard to believe I haven't run this far since the Vrynwy Half Marathon in early September!<br />
<br />
It was pretty cold in the valley at Capelulo before the start, but very warm indeed in the community centre where I changed and annotated an map extract with the route (this was precautionary just in case of a deterioration in the lovely cold sunny weather). Zoe and Bailey saw me off with the rest of the field of just under 200 runners at 10:30.<br />
<br />
Chris Near runs the race is run in alternate directions: this year it was anti-clockwise, so we started with a steep climb up a zig-zagging landrover track for the first half mile, before heading off towards Cefn Coch across beautifully soft grassy tracks. Al Tye was stood just past the top of the first climb taking pictures and we shared a friendly "hello". There were great views right to the sea and half left to Foel Fras (still topped with cloud) on this section. Having started at a steady but comfortable pace I let a fair number of runners pass me in this section - as I said the objective was a long easy to steady run, not a racing pace effort, and I was really enjoying the nice going and the view.<br />
<br />
A bit of a traversing climb from Cefn Coch brought us into sight of the first checkpoint at the south edge of Penmaenmawr Quarry. At this point the route almost doubles back to drop down to the Afon Maes-y-bryn. This is great running to start with, but quickly became very boggy. I concentrated on keeping my cadence relatively high and doing nice short choppy strides to counteract the bog, and caught and passed a few folk here. The climb from the bog to the Pylon line which crosses Bwlch y Ddeufaen was good too, grass with those scattered protruding boulders which require a lot of concentration. At the top I took a gel and a few sips of water as we crossed the stile onto the Roman Road. This place is better known to a lot of runners as the start or finish of the Welsh 3000ers.<br />
<br />
I didn't mind the road, being passed by runners on the flat bits and repassing them on a couple of short downhill sections. Keith and Pauline were out to support, and again we shared greetings and some encouragement. This and the gel geed me up a bit and I climbed well as we started up yet another lovely springy grassy track from CP2 at Cae Coch, gradually catching and overhauling a couple of runners. I kept it steady though and didn't respond when passed by another couple.<br />
<br />
The route then traversed north for a mile and a bit with great views of the Conwy estuary and still the wonderful grassy tracks to reach the first flagging on the route which led in to CP4 (Fords) where Al was once more taking pictures, this time of runners fording a stream and climbing a short sharp climb which led to the final descent.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_qRUYQtVrhhUD_sSFRnl_VvzBKBpC-f8jKQtx4haPJ_ZFrhkPsXrJZbb0z8_zlSMpLu7A718HKAhUl8zIbHqzMuGUAoJF_zfG3gmWQVhxxnZnx-zljPEFZAOUA09J5NRiEz8diBe1BlU-/s1600/FRP_1620.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_qRUYQtVrhhUD_sSFRnl_VvzBKBpC-f8jKQtx4haPJ_ZFrhkPsXrJZbb0z8_zlSMpLu7A718HKAhUl8zIbHqzMuGUAoJF_zfG3gmWQVhxxnZnx-zljPEFZAOUA09J5NRiEz8diBe1BlU-/s400/FRP_1620.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">At the Fords, not far from the finish, happy and comfortable!</td></tr>
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The race instructions said "The last descent of the race is steep and extremely muddy - We have cleared the vegetation from the lower section of the track but overtaking will not be easy ( or indeed advised ! ) – please get your overtaking out of your system before this last descent." Oops! I was way faster than three guys in front of me down this and in fairness they just stepped aside to let me pass as soon as it was safe to do so. If you can descend well it's a great run in and the finish is 20 yards beyond the bottom of the muddy path. So I finished with a great big smile on my face, even though I could probably have gone 5-10 minutes faster overall IF I'd wanted to race.<br />
<br />
I'm reading Boff Whalley's book "Run Wild" at the moment and whilst Boff races (and in the past has raced at a pretty good level), it's the quality of the running that excites him, not so much the racing. If it's a nice route and good company you get the impression he's happy to turn up to a race, but he obviously is uncomfortable with the idea of running round city streets with 40,000 other people. This race was a good experiment, I like the company and I'm happy to go on attending and running in races for training as opposed to having to race full-on in every race I go to. It's for me to know which my target races are and to marshall everything I'm capable of on those days, and I just need to have the discipline to not be upset / excited / whatever about results on days like this when I'm running with the attitude that results don't matter but enjoyment does.<br />
<br />
We've just had a discussion on the Shropshire Fell Running Facebook page about this - I think I might be in the minority with most folks saying they go flat out every time they do a race, yet there is a recognition there that if folks raced flat out a bit less often they'd be able to get better results when they did. Whatever.<br />
<br />
On Sunday, Zoe did a very creditable 1:42 (29th lady of 650) at Conwy on relatively little training, and we both had a really nice relazing weekend. Good times.Jim Tinnionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09114544290502136378noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1990110376760143351.post-63128571030566230712012-11-11T23:14:00.003-08:002012-11-11T23:15:31.213-08:00Mad Jack's Cross Country - 10/11/2012<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3TNFaF-Hix8zo0xBi8vx3nT2cv_UyBreI9pN47xPik-z3qKDGgVh1cO6S4fGxowtOE7gwZ_QYoQk-OkGDZS2dwCguNIHW65-uZQnpXK4oaqw4horUvf6BAzM67OfZuFw19PBmdWAwIEhj/s1600/8172254329_96492faec9_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3TNFaF-Hix8zo0xBi8vx3nT2cv_UyBreI9pN47xPik-z3qKDGgVh1cO6S4fGxowtOE7gwZ_QYoQk-OkGDZS2dwCguNIHW65-uZQnpXK4oaqw4horUvf6BAzM67OfZuFw19PBmdWAwIEhj/s400/8172254329_96492faec9_o.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Starting off in from of the big house</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6EnJmAezc5hThNBPas1oP02qLjvhipTO1qfz7Bkxrn2fWYXVJbduBoZTj0xh_GBJXpOTW68jFI3Q5RHjkUj3_dDhEb6FRQ3exVPKqvWOUrNlQijqCaCqcs700QZkWSAYzzDaZHFf_7Fx/s1600/8172293943_42b82f94ea_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEif6EnJmAezc5hThNBPas1oP02qLjvhipTO1qfz7Bkxrn2fWYXVJbduBoZTj0xh_GBJXpOTW68jFI3Q5RHjkUj3_dDhEb6FRQ3exVPKqvWOUrNlQijqCaCqcs700QZkWSAYzzDaZHFf_7Fx/s400/8172293943_42b82f94ea_o.jpg" width="267" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing the pond</td></tr>
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Zoe and I decided to have a go at this a few weeks ago to help her with her off road running, and on the grounds it probably wouldn't do her too much damage the week before the Conwy half marathon. Mad Jack's is organised by my mate Mark Agnew who's the National Trust Estate Manager at Attingham Park, together with logistical support from Shrewsbury AC.<br />
<br />
Anyway I'd been unwell for a few days before with a sickness bug that turned into a sinus infection, so had no great expectation other than to see how I felt. I'd settle for 8 minute pace over the 5.2 miles (which includes about 3 miles of rough fields, three water obstacles, several logs and quite a few fences and stiles). So 41:36 would be a reasonable target given the givens (7:30s for 39 minutes overall would be better but I wasn't up to that really).<br />
<br />
I started way too quickly of course, trying to get to the first gate early enough not to be held up, and was lactic about a quarter of a mile in. I eased back in the second mile and struggled for a further section until we got into the woods across the deer park. I found the running there much easier (possibly because I'd slowed down by another 20 sec/mile) and in reality I was a bit too comfortable and should have been pushing on more. I got it back together and ran a decent final mile to the pond, overtaking a couple of people in the field.<br />
<br />
The pond crossing was good, taking a slightly wider (and therefore deeper) line to pass a couple of people. I got a bit blocked off coming out of the pond but didn't have too much time to think about it as I suddenly realised Stuart Langley was coming past. Thankfully I got it together and ran in hard, staying just ahead of him until the finish.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqYlfSE4SAY7KaqowwYBG0qzIS52mzrFOsf1Y2f5Y4336Ckv4UXiJDKL7l7RCgXZRQcOrh8MCeuYZg4XXPm97BrURSdvJg-dR_aapm3kGrB4melJ1bMZ-PUKsnON9jXOeqs4yPQx4l6yS5/s1600/FRP_0794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqYlfSE4SAY7KaqowwYBG0qzIS52mzrFOsf1Y2f5Y4336Ckv4UXiJDKL7l7RCgXZRQcOrh8MCeuYZg4XXPm97BrURSdvJg-dR_aapm3kGrB4melJ1bMZ-PUKsnON9jXOeqs4yPQx4l6yS5/s400/FRP_0794.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Crossing the pond with Stuart lurking behind (in yellow)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIKyPCBs86oozNCL1SGSV4nWIBeeK94pf9Nmcgc0zFC7FzSAT5-70gyWUqQ4vFdblDG-R9oRXPm2QQ2nYQ9wjHC0PERefyp359nhvq2ULeKYAY7KShvQ_6LSbqK5Vn15yaOx2bMkT8MbU/s1600/FRP_0801.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUIKyPCBs86oozNCL1SGSV4nWIBeeK94pf9Nmcgc0zFC7FzSAT5-70gyWUqQ4vFdblDG-R9oRXPm2QQ2nYQ9wjHC0PERefyp359nhvq2ULeKYAY7KShvQ_6LSbqK5Vn15yaOx2bMkT8MbU/s400/FRP_0801.JPG" width="282" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I heard someone yelling something along the lines<br />
of I should be able to climb out of the pond, being<br />
a fell runner!</td></tr>
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My splits were:<br />
<br />
Mile 1: 6:51 (mostly rough fields but including one ditch)<br />
Mile 2: 7:44 (more fields and another fence and ditch, then a short section of path over the river)<br />
Mile 3: 7:43 (concrete path then lovely grass and finally woods with tree trunks to hurdle)<br />
Mile 4: 8:01 (woods with a few tree trunks but very runnable)<br />
Mile 5: 7:53 (along the river, then a short bit of wood and finally fields to the pool)<br />
to finish: (through the pond, then a sprint round the field)<br />
<br />
I was 89th of 362 and 14th V40 of 40 in 40:09. I'm fairly pleased with the time given the starting situation, but I could have pushed on a bit in mile 4 and got under 40 minutes.<br />
<br />
Zoe did very well dealing with some tricky obstacles and finishing 2nd L35 in 42:15 (she is not 40 thank you results team!) What's more I think she enjoyed it, although she was looking for ways she could improve straight away.<br />
<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Zoe climbing out of the pond</td></tr>
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Phil, my triathloning colleague from work did a pretty creditable 44:16.Jim Tinnionhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09114544290502136378noreply@blogger.com0