Race10 – High Peak 40
After the Bullock Smithy I was feeling likemy running had really improved this year. The High Peak 40 did not go so well!A fortnight after the Smithy my legs felt ok, although lots of bike riding inbetween didn’t help, and the combined effect of lots of long runs was beginningto catch up with me…
Finding the start was the first challenge,somehow despite arriving in Buxton the night before the race I had managed tobe completely disorganised, and as everyone else set off I had just the oneshoe on! Still, after a while I was off… The first part of the race went fromBuxton up towards Chapel-en-le-frith, then east over to Mam Tor. I had hoped toget round in about 7 hours, and was running with a guy I met at the DownlandChallenge in July, who was a fast marathon runner but had not finished any longraces. He too was hoping for 7 hours, and we ran together for a while. At theroad crossing just before the climb up Mam Tor I had a flashback from last year’sEdale Skyline (the one with the horizontal Hailstones, if anyone remembers)… Iremember running through here completely knackered and seeing a sign – “The hardpart starts here” – deary me that was a hard race.
Anyway, I digress. The HP40 was goingrelatively well until the road section around Tideswell. I was running on myown here and had slowed down a lot. 7hrs man had pushed on ahead and I wasovertaken by a couple of other people along this section. I was relieved to getonto the path beside the river Wye, but was slow along here too, and the goingwas very wet and slippy. Down through Deep Dale, I really enjoyed the steeptwisty bit and decided to stop whinging and get on with it. Unfortunately 7hours was now looking very unlikely but I was keen just to finish! The lastsection seemed to take ages (as always!) but I was feeling happy now, havinggot over my earlier slowness and moaning.
I finished in 7 hours 36 mins, and saw theguy I had been running with at the end. He had come in just over 7 hours, a greateffort for his longest race by far!
After a shower and food I was off toClapham in the dales for a work “team bonding” event… lots of Copper Dragon anddrunken dancing – perhaps not the best recovery technique but great fun!
Race11 – Pumlumon Challenge
The Pumlumon Challenge started from the Nantyr Arian forestry centre, about 8 miles east of Aberystwyth. “Short” at 26miles, I was certainly looking forward to this race. The route looked good,heading up from the start through forestry then out across open land, withplenty of climbs (and bogs)! There didn’t seem to be too many of us at thestart, but those who weren’t there missed out on a great day…
Within a couple of miles of the start we setoff up the first major climb. The weather was good, not too hot but dry, and wecould see the leaders (Mark Hartell and Martin Beale) near the top of the hill.Then down again and round to checkpoint 2 at 5 miles, up another big hill andalong the Pumlumon Ridge at the top, then up and down along the ridge to theSource of the Severn at about 11 miles. Atthis point I was feeling good, I was amazed to still be about 5th. Theorganisation and checkpoints on this race were great (as they all have been), ata few of the checkpoints we were given Welsh waffles – weird but good!
At about 16 miles we set off up Drosgol, abig nasty hill and a hot climb. I was quite happy with the speed I got up it,but after going over the top I started to feel a bit rubbish. Descendingthrough tussocks I dropped the energy gel which was supposed to get me over theboo, so slowed down and lost a few places here. Carrying on around the edge ofthe reservoir I was now on my own again, and somewhere around 20 miles Icarried on up a track rather than turning left. On getting to the top of thehill some picnicers told me they had seen runners going the other way and did Iperhaps want to follow them? Oops.
After getting back the right way I gotgoing again, caught a couple of people who had passed me after Drosgol and feltnear the end. The last climb went well, with a guy who said he had recce’d theroute using Google Earth! After the climb we descended to the large track, thenthe last half mile or so through the woods to the finish in slightly over 5 anda half hours. A great race, it felt kind of similar to the Isle of Man MM,really good fun.
Race12 – Long Mynd Hike
The last race! In the week leading up tothis race I was dreading it. I knew that from the start I would be thinkingabout the finish, and that this would make it a very long race! I was runningwith Adrian Dixon though, so keeping up would probably take my mind off the endof the series…
It did. Adrian had recce’d the course very well andit was brilliant to run with him. My parents also came down to Shropshire and it was great to see them at a few pointsaround the course. We set off fast, and despite talking every now-and-thenabout how we were probably going too quickly, we never quite slowed down much.
The route of this race was great, Iespecially liked the out-and-back section up to checkpoint 2. It was reallywindy here which made it exciting, I remember giggling to myself as we scatteredthe hikers on the way down. The time seemed to pass quite quickly, and beforetoo long we reached Stiperstones car park. This felt like the centre of thecourse, and seeing the tents which would become checkpoint 13 a few hourslater, I wondered how I would feel then. Adrian and I were climbing well atthis point, and set off on the northerly part of the course up to Earl’s Hill.This long section went well but I was beginning to wonder if I would be able tohandle the pace all the way round. Between checkpoints 7 and 9 I decided Iwould keep up for as long as possible then drop back if necessary. Dad took apicture of me looking distinctly unhappy at Shelve, but we were grouped hereand this made me feel it wasn’t too long to the end, so I got a bit happier.
We were joined by a man called Jonny, hewas doing his first race of this length but had some very fast times in Lakes fellraces. He was running very well and we made good progress past 30 miles. AtCorndon Hill (I think) Joe Faulkner was added to our group (although he had 20minutes grouping time so would finish ahead of us) to make four.
I had heard a lot about Black Rhadley andhow tough it would be, but it wasn’t really too bad. Well quite bad, but notquite as bad as I expected! Then we came again to Stiperstones car park… 12miles of the series left! The adrenalin of completing the grand slam kicked inhere. Unfortunately so did the weather, and the next downhill section withwaterlogged glasses was a bit interesting, but nothing could stop me now.Still, I was pleased to reach Minton with just 4 miles to go, and when we gotto Ragleth Hill after 10 and a half hours, we decided 11 hours was achievable.The last decent was steep and slippery, and Joe had some problems with hisback, but I was flying (mentally, not so much physically) as we crossed theplaying fields and into the School in 10:52. Somehow Adrian,Jonny and I also managed joint 15th place (with Joe 14th),well above what we had expected, and Adrianwon the V60 race.
This was always going to be a veryenjoyable race for me, but it really was brilliant. Finishing the grand slamwas great, and all the people who said well done, I didn’t realise so manypeople knew! It was really good to see Mum and Dad at the last race too, andthanks to Adrianfor helping me round.
Theend (Last few ramblings)…
All the races I have run and people I havemet this year have been brilliant, and have certainly inspired me to think ofanother big challenge for next year.
My brain seems to have blocked out largesections of the series, which means I will have to do at least some of itagain, but I will leave the grand slam to others! Thank you to everyone whoencouraged or helped me, and well done Mark Hartell, Nicky Spinks, Karen, andeveryone who did better or faster than they thought they could! Cheers, see youat the party.
