Gritstone Tryal Navigation Race

Gritstone Tryal Navigation Race  27/04/14

This is organised by a Staffs Moorlands runner Ian Ankers, a super nice chap. 

This is my first navigation race, and I wanted to do it to force myself to learn how to read a map and use a compass. Dale Colclough showed me how to do it before the race. Now time like the present.

After a quick plan and chat with John Whilock on what route to take to the marked checkpoints we were standing on the starting line.

I decided that I wanted to go my own route and not follow anyone, as I wanted to learn the hard way. I certainly did, I was last at the first checkpoint. I had a lot of work to do to finish in a respectable position. Lucky the other checkpoints were areas that I kind of knew. So I hoped that my local knowledge would come in useful.

Wolfs Pitt Fell Race

Wolfs Pitt Fell Race (16/04/14) 34th

Invited by follow team mates from Staffs Moorlands to do this iconic race in the white peak.  I was hoping for a better result than Edale Skyline...

I rested for this race and got excited, as I always do. After a brief warm up in the chilling wind. We were lined up and good to go.  The first climb was the toughest in the race but a most enjoyable one, as you came see all/most of the runners at this point. Gareth Briggs, James Wood, Craig Jeffery and Jason Burgess all ahead of me.

Edale Skyline 23/03/2014


Having completed the route on a recce day with Janson Heath earlier in the year. I realised two things, one that Edale Skyline is a beautiful race, in terms of the landscape and location. Two, that my love of the landscape would get me through the race, that I had pre entered. As this is one tough cookie... During my snowy recce with Janson, I nearly cried towards the end of the route. The pain that came to my concrete legs was heavy felt.

I went to the race with Gareth Briggs, a follow Staffs Moorlands runner. Excitement gripped my hands and turned my stomach at least four times... A brief chat and the thought of this marmite race was underway.

Pendle Fell English Championship

Pendle Fell Race
English Championship
05/04/14

 This was my first race in the English Championship, excited is a one word, nervous is another. It was a chance to put myself up against the best in the Country and see how I compared.

I travelled up with Lisa Heath who was supporting Janson Heath, her partner, both run for Trentham running club, though Janson runs for Ambleside on the Fells. Both are good friends of mine and are really good ultra runners. I have learnt a lot from both in the last year I have known them. Many Thanks. The Journey to and from the race was no different. A chance to exchange ideas and thoughts about running.

 I was running for Staffordshire Moorlands AC once again. I hoped the heart of the roaches and the hill reps from Hen Cloud would carry me forth...

Pendle is known for its witches, so I was hoping that some witch and her magic would cast a spell for me to fly up the hill and back down. Sadly I was mistaken. The course is pretty much an up and down race. With one big long climb, a little drop and a really breath taking, heart in mouth, blood to the head, pain to legs, steep climb to the trig and back to the start. A pacey race for sure.

 I meet up with Janson and follow staffs moorlands runner Martin Dearden also from Leek, after good warm up, we will ready for the start. We were ready as we would ever be. I also meet a follow runner from Leek called Will Neill, an extremely talented runner. An exchange of hellos and wishing each other luck we were all ready to go. Along with the other 400 runners in the Village of Barley.

 Lucky for both you and me Will's Dad and Sister who had just completed her Ladies race for Staffs Moorlands were filming. So I don't have to bore you with all the details. Will's sister Becky finished 43rd in the time of 47minutes and was third in her Category.

 Heres my quick description of the race:

 Breath, Wish good luck, avoid car and all the other runners, one foot in front then the other at wide spaces, as fast you can. Admire the Reservoir. Tactic...Maybe...No. Avoid that women with the camera and that puddle. Go as fast as possible. Wow that hurts, reach climb, dying on my feet. Chest forward, climb, breath. Walk, run, walk run, repeat. Seriously how long does this climb go on for!?! Finally, release legs on the down hill. breath avoid the rocks and stones. Receive the applause for acting like child or a crazy man. Yes I feel like a caveman, hit the big stupidly stupid big steep climb, pull and rip the grass, pull on the rocks. Am rubbish at climbing at pace. Repeat and wonder why am here. Get overtaken by a huge amount of runners that appear to be rest of the field behind. Reach the top of the trig, go round it and back down on big downhill. Watch footing, try to make up places. Can't. Stick with the runners. Reach the pavement, make my move. Increase pace on the road and on the last little bit of ascent overtake approximately 20 runners. Boom! I have found my inner cat self. Continue to push, and catch the last two runners in front of me before the line. Must of finish with 5 minute miles...

Will had a great run and all his training pays off in the races. Janson, is currently training for the Bob graham round, so he is doing more longer training session, so I imagine this was a bit of shock, he had a great race, as did Martin who has just started competing with the races with me. Good effort everyone.

Will Neill finished 16th in 35mins and 33 seconds
I finished in 99th at the time, now 101 in 41minutes.
Janson finished in 44minutes and 43
Martin finished in 47minutes and 05 seconds

 Pleased to have made the top 100, disappointed to be now out of it. By ONE place. O well next year. Will Neills videos, please subscribe and watch them.

 

Finishing Part of the Race, click on the link below:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10203346574888165&set=vb.1324746172&type=2&theater

National Cross Country Nottingham

National Cross Country Nottingham 2014 Here is a video taken from William Neill. This is far better than me explaining what happened. Amazing start to the race to a three lap course. Total distance was 7 miles I think. I finished 684 in 47minutes and 13 seconds and something out of about 1700 runners. Which I was pleased about so the club celebrations later on in the night went on till 3am...

Post by William Neill.

Long Mynd Valley Fell Race

Long Mynd Fell Race

02 March 2014

It’s a Feb 2014 and am back in Shropshire to race at the Long Mynd Fell Race.

Its been a while since I did the Long Mynd Hike, around 18months.  The Long Mynd was one of the reason why I started to get into running in the first place. A broken promise never fore filled, add in regret and you have the reason why I started. Its not to say I didn’t enjoy running in the first place. I just never really thought about running for running’s sake before.  I suppose you don’t until you hit with the reality of completing a 50 mile hill race… Probably something I should of took a bit more seriously. I drastically over estimated it. I also underestimated how much I would become to love the sport of trail, fell and ultra running.  Its that reason why am back at the Long Mynd, this time with more knowledge and more friends. Though that doesn’t help you complete a challenging course, it does help a little.

I traveled down with Gareth Briggs, Tracy Dean and Ian Ankers. We also meet up with Dale Colclough and Will Neill.

The route is class as AL, meaning that is a long route generally 10miles plus and also it tough, bloody tough.  This was my first AL fell race.  Lets hope I last the race.  I’d finished other fell races, with the Roaches been the next toughest I’d done before which is a BL. 

Given plenty of advice from Dale, Gaz, Tracy, and Ian we will set to start the race where the visitor centre is. Which is a National Trust one.  It started in a middle of valley and lead up towards the Long Mynd vallery across the top to Pole Bank.

This was the only part of the course that I knew the rest was blind to me.

The whistle went for the start and we were off over the first hill with the sun on our backs. I started steady, and took it easy for the first two miles or so. At least what I thought was steady, I was still tired. I knew I was going to be in for hard race.  As the start was the gently part of the course compared to other half. 

We climbed up the first bank, legs and arms pumping to move the body forward. Words of encouragment came from Dale “look at young Bethell climb the hill, just like his brother (Forest Bethell).” That motivated so I moved up through packed reached the first climb and ran like kid to a candy shop all the way back down the hill. 

The climb towards Pole bank was tricky and I was trying to keep up with Tracy Dean. I stayed with her just before check point two and she was and off.  I holded myself back at this point as I didn’t want to start to go a little harder just yet. 

We moved through heather and did some zig and zag down the side of a steep hill, the approach was much like a skier. Though a lot slower and I was the slowest descender compared to my follow fell runners. I always loose places going down hill.  Still work to be done it that department. After that descent it’s a bit of blur where the course went, it was through streams, climbing sheep trods, cracks in the valley and more heather descents until we reached checkpoint 5.

Looking not so sporty...I will try to improve my fashion when running...

Tracy Dean looking good, approaching check point five

Now Checkpoint 5 – 6 was really enjoyable running and one that I have enjoyed the most compared to other fell races that I have completed.  We followed a stream all the way to checkpoint 6 on a route that is best describe as rocky trail surface with odd twist and turn.  I must of enjoyed as I began to overtake people and once I reached checkpoint 6 looked towards the next climb, I could see Tracy. I tried to catch but she was to far ahead. At this point many people were taking different lines. I didn’t have time to grab my map. Instead I just moved forward and tried to remember the line from the map I looked at before the start of the race. I decided to follow tracy and climb the steepest part of the hill instead of going right and up like a few other people. The problem was I climbed the painstaking hill, managed to overtake people but lost them when I reach the summit. I blindly ran in the direction of the course on a trodden footpath. After two minutes of running I realised I was by myself and everyone had taken a different line. Then I looked a bit further a head and saw the rest of the field. I decided to run straight to them. I did this but in my hurry I ran into a blackthorn tree. Oops. That hurt and slowed me a little. I carried on regardless and hit the bottom and saw checkpoint 7. I still haven’t decided if I lost time or if I made time. It was close either way. I think I may of made time. If just a fraction. As I didn’t recognize anyone else around me.  I did see Tracy again, so it would have been a case of minutes. I then headed for checkpoint 8 another zig zag climb. At this point I felt a bit of cramp in my leg. So I decided to slow down and stretch a little. I took two minutes and lost a few places, but then started to run again. I seemed okay after this. Well that and the magic of salt and vinegar crisps.

It was now for the hardest climb of the course to checkpoint 9 on yearlet summit. And boy did this hurt…It took a while to get to tope of this. Probably ten to fifteen minutes. Maybe I took the wrong route. Though I did manage to catch and over take people climbing up there. My ascent is far better than my descent. That’s for sure.  Off to the finish then. Well this was easy said than done. I could see a few runners in the distance so I headed towards them. I passed a friendly face of Mark Davis who was watching the race and the course. Thanks the encouragement.  At this point I was leading group of runner that had just climbed to CP9.  I tried to follow my nose, but wasn’t sure so I slowed and waited for runners to catch in hope that they knew. They didn’t. Lesson always know the course or have map to hand. We then headed towards a car park and saw some other runners and headed towards the finish line. 

Out of breath, tired and worn out with a blackthorn stuck in my ankle I was pleased to of made it back safe and sort of sound.

Will won the race in 1hr 43

Gareth finished in 1hr 57 in 11th

Tracy finished in 2hrs 16 in 54th

I finished in 2hrs and 21 in 74^th

Dale finished in 2hrs 23 in 81th along with follow and friendly runner Simon

Ian Ankers finished in 2hrs 43 in 143^rd

There were 203 runners that took on the challenge of the Long Mynd and am sure I ll be back to do it again next year. Its such a good course and one that I would recommend.

I was a little bit disappointed with my time, so I am hoping for 2hrs and 15 next year.

2014 races

This year I plan to do the English Fell Running Championship, and I aim to have these as my focus races.

I will also be running for Staffordshire Moorlands Athletics Club and Team Raidlight in races.

So I plan to do the following races:

English Fell champs

Pendle (05/04/14)
Ennerdale (07/06/14)
Kentmere Horseshoe (20/07/14)
Hodder Valley Show (13/09/14)

and also do the following:

National Cross Country Champs (22/02/14)
Long Tour of Bradwell, probably the half this year. (09-10/08/14)
Stafford Half (16/03/2014)
Passing Clouds (15/06/2014)
Shutlingsloe (26/05/2014)
Cloud Nine (06/04/2014)
Roaches Fell Race
Chrome Hill Fell Race (29/06/14)
Ipstones Five
and Summer Series