Passing Clouds. 9miles

This year I wanted to do both the passing clouds and the roaches, both of which are races just outside of the Leek. I do a lot of training around the area and wanted to see if that would help in any way. Here’s what happened:

A change of clothes and a changes of tops, nervousness always makes me wonder if am wearing the right clothes. After a flick of a wizard’s wand I was good to go. I decided to set off in shots and a waterproof jacket.

I quick jog around the car park and few a stretches and not before having a pre race banter with Tracy and Jon, Gareth, Jack and Robin we were ready.

The whistle went we were off and my feet started a petter patter, petter patter wet feet and a glance of who’s around and try to move my legs. Gareth, Robin and Jon all go off fast, as does Jack Ross who stays with Simon Bailey. I lost visual as jack was heading off with him.

1mile down through a cows field, avoid the footprints look for a stile. Avoid, go over the gate, and steal a few places. Go through the farmers yard, a few go the wrong way and I lead the right way make a few places back and call people the right way. Head up towards the first climb, adopt a walk, run style up the hill towards Ramshaw Rocks. Climb, dodge the walkers, pull the heather out and use my arms. Stay with the group. This develops a gap between those behind.

See my brother, he offers support and tells me Jon is just a head of me. I see him but don’t think I ll catch him. All the Staffs Moorlands team members are head of me. Down through the muddiest field that lies in this parts, I swear its never dry. I begin to think I ve entered a tough mudder.  See someone injury, twisted ankle maybe. There okay. I carry on, chasing a Buxton man.  Hop over the heather and miss the bog toilets. Reaches the road a bit of a relief and its starts again. 

Remember the five D’s, duck, dodge, dive, dip and o yes dodge! Try and keep a rhythm.  Him a blackbank farm and head up towards Roach End. Slippery sandstone, slip, twist ankle. Nothing serious. slows my pace down. Take on some jelly babies. Take moment. A little bit of happiness in that juicy goodness. Get over taken, gutted. Need to push on. I adopt for a walk and run up to roach end. Hide in the shelter from the 70mph winds. Yes 70 mph winds and am running in shorts. Take on a gel. Go to the trig point. Keep pushing. No one in front, no one behind. Try to pick up my pace and find the line. A quick glance of the view and carry on, find inspiration, catch another runner over take them.  Keep to the heather. Over the ridge past Doxey’s pool, down to hen cloud, through the gates try to run my hill rep sections. Catching Jon on the ascent see him about 30 seconds in front. Hit the descent, try to catch three or four runners including Jon, fall on my arse.. Bottle of water in the air, wet bum.  Try again lost sight of the group push on, no one behind and no one in front need to keep going.  Start to feel the pain, cramp. See Gareth and Robin, they give a shout of support and I finish in a time of 1hr 25minutes in 25^th position. Staffordshire Moorlands take the team place with Jack (2^nd 1hr 12), Gareth (3^rd 1hr 13) and Robin (6^th 1hr 18).  Jon finished 19^th 1hr 23. Tracy finished in 1hr 37 and won first w40.

Grab a tea from the Tittlesworth visiter centre 

Shelf Moor Fell Race

The opportunity to run a fell race came by, Gareth Briggs from Staffordshire Moorlands Athletics Club ask if anyone wanted to join him. I said yes.

It was a cold and damp morning, and we headed towards Glossop, I hadn’t heard of the race before and didn’t really know what it would be like. Gareth described it as one long up hill and one long downhill over the moors and peat.  Mark had also joined also from SMAC.

My knowledge into the race was that it is six miles long with an 1800ft contour that took you to one of the highest points in the peak district. The race record was set in 1989 by Colin Donnelly the time record was 39 minutes.

After a few stretches and nervous pacing, I signed up at an old scouts hut and then headed to the starting line. There we also saw Jack Ross, a great young runner from Staffs Moorlands.  Gareth told me not to go off so fast at the start. I said there is no chance of that, as I still a little stiff in my legs from LTOB and thought this may be a good chance to open my legs a little. We wished each other luck and we were off.

We set off and I started off with a steady pace over the rocky stone and twisting paths that lead to the hill that Gareth talked about, the first part of the hill is runnable but I was soon slowed down to a power walk up by nature staircase.   Heading towards the first false summit I could feel my legs burning, but the breath of other runners behind kept me moving. At this point Gareth and Jack were well in front, there were both in the top 5, with jack and Gareth fighting for positions between them…And that was there race. Something I could only be spectator to.

Gareth Briggs (SMAC) start of the first climb (Photo Ian Oates)

I managed to overtake a few people on the climb and but a few other people managed to get past me to, so a bit of tip for tat. I heard a marshal say I was in 21^st. Heading past the one of the three aircraft crashes and another checkpoint we headed towards Higher Shelf Stone, the highest point on the route. I desperately tried to catch the person in front of me, this worked and I managed to catch him by running better lines. As we reached the top, we were neck and neck. I saw Gareth and jack fly down the hill as the route looped back on its self.

(Top of Higher Shelf Stones, neck and neck toe to toe, slightly behind, photo Peak District Fell Races)

The person I was toe to to toe with decided to unleash his downhill legs. I couldn’t keep up him, though I did try to no avail.  This did mean that I gained on  a couple in front.  I couldn’t make much ground between them, as my downhill technique obliviously needs some work.  I soon found myself running by myself, so I decided to keep pressing as much as possible.  This was a long down hill and down I went. I could feel my legs burning with ever stride.  Trying to avoid the peat bogs, and the stones, I picked up the lines as best I could hoping to catch someone.

Descent from Higher Stones, tum bag 

Them suddenly someone flew past me, this was the wake up call I need. I tried to stay with the blue thing that shot past at a rate of knots. I pushed hard but I couldn’t catch him either… Things were getting worse. Until I got till the steepest part of the down hill section and then I managed to open my legs more. I could see I was catching a small group of runners in front of me. I had this last down hill section and the sprint road finish to make my places up. I still had some energy in the bag. Once I reached the road I open my legs to sprint to the finish passing a couple at the end of the downhill and the start of the road section.

On the way to finish line (photo Ian Oates)

I managed to finished  19^th for Team Raidlight with a time of 51minutes and 03 seconds.

Gareth managed to beat Jack for the first time in about three years. Though Jack was running with a broken wrist…

Gareth finished 3^rd and Jack finished 4^th with times of 45:59 and 46:46.

Gareth home straight (photo Ian Oates)

Mark finished 54 with 57:14 all for Staffordshire Moorlands.

It goes to show how good Colin Donnelly was at running beating my time by 12 minutes. I also learnt that I need to work on my downhill technique.