Rudyard (25th July, Summer Series)

This was the week of my 30^th Birthday, so celebrations were in full swing three nights before the race after an evening in the Silk and Strand (leek) with family and friends as we celebrated mine and my twin sisters birthday party. Most of the people who turned up were for my sister…I did managed to eat her cake and try to ride a child’s bike down some steps… Thanks for everyone who came to celebrate with my sister and myself.

After a sore head the two days later I had to put on my racing head, as I wanted to try and finish 3^rd in my category in the overall prizes.

With the support of Cara and other friends I made during the series I was surprising pleased to find myself feeling I could race this one, as I knew the course from many walks around the lake.

The Lake is named after Rudyard Kipplin as him and his family visited the lake regularly to feel the breeze in their hair to look upon the silver veils that rippled around the lake.

The first part of the race consists of approximately 2miles of straight and flat road.  This is not my strong point so I knew I had to hold a good position until we reached an uphill.

The race started at a fast pace as I expected, I hung back and tried to stay with those footprints that had become a familiar path, this came in the form of Richard and Toby.

After the nutrition of some fly’s and the summers heat, I felt a little tired as people passed me, I knew I could not do anything about it as I would blow up.  It wasn’t until the never ending straight had finished I could make my move. 

This came after the cattle grid followed by cows that made for some unusual spectators. I could hear the sound of bagpipes from the lungs of Johnny Whylock. This inspired me to put a little more effort in and this worked as I passed some of the runners that overtook me on the flat.

I managed to overtake and catch up with Tyler and Richard both were having a good race.  I knew it would take a lot to bet these two, so I tried to maintain my pace and put more effort on the gradients.  This seemed to work as we approached the boat houses I had made up some positions and with the support of members from Staff Moorlands Running Club I managed to hold off Tyler and Richard after an exchange numbers.

I then reached the visitor center and mooring points for the boats, it’s a good view from here, but I didn’t have time to admire it this time. As I had to burst into a spirit to pull away from my pursuers.  I managed to do this until the finish with a time of 31 minutes and 02 seconds to finish in 5^th place, my best finish since starting the series. Result for Team Raidlight.

This was my first race in a Team Raidlight shirt. 

Summer Series, Oakamoor. 4th July

So this race was something of a revelation for me, as Dale and Clive have told me not to run with my water bottle. As It added extra weight and there was no need for it for the distance that I was doing. I agreed, I think I did it for a comfort thing. 

At this point, I also like to point out that doing the summer series has been a massive learning curve for me, and a most enjoyable one. I have meet lots of new people who are all friendly and all supportive. It really has helped me improve my running over short distances. Thanks to everyone who has helped me so far.

Again I was excited about the race, as I knew Oakamoor well due to friends that I know living in Dimmingsdale and also because I go climbing there.  I was also nervous and excited as per usual.

I meet up Dale, Richard, Tyler, Matt, Clive, Andrew, Gareth and Toby at the start of the race and we were all excited about it too.  We joked about not going wrong, or making any silly errors like last week. I was told to go fast at the start in order to get a good place for first up hill climb. And that is what I did. Though I didn’t expect the climb to go one for as long as it did.  I was knackered half way up the hill but I kept pushing myself as someone breath was on my shoulder, I fought as long as I could until Tyler came running past me. 

I tried to keep up with him but couldn’t, as we started the downhill towards Dimmingsdale I lost ground on Tyler. I managed to keep up with Richard, as we bounced through the brecon and over the tractor tracks. I was pleased with my pace at this point and tried to keep it up, though I was sure of the route so it was hard to judge it.

We head past the pools in dimmingsdale and I heard a voice from Toby to tell me that we had missed the turning, so myself and Richard and a few other runners ran back as quick as possible. “O no” myself and Richard said, twice in two weeks. Nightmare I thought.  We had previously passed the marshal who was walking up to his checkpoint. I think we arrived a little early. Thanks Toby for calling us back.

We carried on with the race, even more cautious of the route. I was making sure I went the right well.  After more tractor paths and jumping of the timber and lifting our sticky muddy shoes we reached the rambles retreat and I knew we were near the last and long straight home. I put in the effort and tried to keep up with Richard, but he was too strong. Well done Richard good race.  As I headed to the home straight, Jack Ross came flying past me, which was strange as I thought we would of finished the race by now.

It turned out that he and the top 8 went the wrong way also, and made the same mistake.  This did play a part in the results.  Never the less I was pleased with my pace and happy to of finished 5^th with a time of 33minutes. 

Jack Ross still managed to win the race for Staffs Moorlands with a time of 32 minutes and 41 seconds even though he went the wrong well. Impressive.

Shooting Guns

Photo Mick Hall

Chrome Hill Fell Race

After receiving a strange answer phone message from my friend on the Thursday evening after Wetton’s race. I was asked to help a friend in need. That friend was Lawrence Soleimani. He had asked (made) me to do the Chrome hill Fell Race as he promised his mum he would do it last year at Hollingsclough village festival.  His mum helps organise the festival, as its hosted by her school.

I said I would, it didn’t take much persuading, as I had heard good and bad things about Chrome hill.  This was to be my friends first fell race so I was keen to make sure he kept his promise.

Once myself, Lawrence and Isobel (Lawrence partner) got to the giant shaped paste we realised that we had a bit of challenge a head of us. I was just hoping not to get eaten by the big paste shaped hill.

Race preparations were slightly different for this one, as we took part in tombola, sold raffle tickets and eat lots of jelly tots.

Lawrence Soleimani was nervous about the whole thing, but eventually he signed the dated line… And we got kitted out.  I thought he was a man of honor for sticking for his word. Good for you. I thought.

The whistle went and off we went, This first farm offered lots of pots holes, as I saw Gareth Briggs and Robin Hope shoot of in front of me.  Two very strong Staffordshire Moorlands Runners.  I tried to keep up with the group at the front. Well at least my head was. My legs still ached from Thursday, but I knew I had to keep pushing on the uphill.  The down hills were short and sweet and the uphill’s were torturous to my legs. Lots of concentration was needed just to avoid the cow prints.  And we hadn’t even started the climb to Chrome Hill. I felt empathy towards Loz, but I knew he would be enjoying it and that he would keep going.

Once we reached the start of the climb to Chrome Hill I was exhausted and started to crawl, and I mean crawl up the side of the Hill. Like a trail of ants heading for the top of Candy mountain we pushed as hard as we could. Passing bemused walkers on the hill, we ran down the giant Cornish paste.  I was running against someone who I could shake off, and we were neck and neck all the way down the hill and over the ridges. This was the most enjoyed part of the race and we both wanted the position.  As such we managed to catch some people in front and gain a couple of places.  Once we were at the bottom of the hill, we were on last farm trail home to the finish.  I even saw Simon Bailey watching the race.

I crossed the finish line with a time of 35 minutes in 13^th place.  Gareth and Robin finished 4^th and 5^th, a great result for them. Well Done.

I also meet Isobel again and we decided to wait for Loz so we could cheer him on.

He came in with at time of 53 minutes. Well Done Loz.

I can now say that was one of the hardest fell races I have done. So well done indeed for completing it Loz.

Duck Racing

Me and Loz, Paste Hill in the Background

Summer Series, Wetton

Wetton 

Another Thursday night came round again. This time the weather was not so good, with rain and mist.  I was looking forward to this one, as I had done some previous training at Ecton Hill. Therefore I knew some of the trails, which I hoped would put me in good stead.

One thing I didn’t bargain for was the mist that cloaked the hills from 200 meters away. Visibility was going to be a problem, as was not knowing the route…

With the race underway, I managed to keep with fast road runners, a little out of my comfort zone. It wasn’t until the first hill section that I managed to gain a steady pace and figure out who I was racing with. 

I would like to tell what happened in front, but I can’t for two reasons, one the reason was the mist and the other was the top runners are bloody fast… I was running slightly behind, Tyler Goodwin and Richard. My plan was to stick to these as much as possible as I knew I would finish well.  I followed the pair along with a few other runners up and down through farm lands and marshes. After a few miles I started to locate myself at the beginning of one of the paths that leads to the summit of Ecton Hill.  Here I tried to hold off someone behind me and also catch Tyler and Richard. That was my motivation.  I managed to do this, and we all had a moment of joy once we reached the top. We then headed to the farm and up another hill…And yes this was just another hill, as it wasn’t part of the route. We somehow managed to go the wrong way, and added on another minute to our time. By the time I realised I had gone wrong it was to late as screams from Dale Calclough were heard as he shouted “Go on Dave”. It was at this point that the marshal confirmed our error.  Determined to get some time back I put in more effort in to try to gain a few places back. This did catch up with me at the last downhill section as I was over taken.

Although I went wrong I still managed to finish 10^th. With 43:44.

Well done to Gareth Briggs (38.26) and Robin Hope (39:35) for Staffs Moorlands for 3rd and 7th. Also well done to Dale Colclough & Matt Statham for finishing 15th and 16th. 

Buxton, Summer Series, Thursday 20th June

My preparation for the race didn’t go as planned, I turned up with  a bad Achilles. I was unsure even if I was going to do the race a few hours before.  However my stubbornness over throw my consciousness, and I found myself once again on the starting line.  In a tide of blue and yellow, that represented Wilmslow and Staffs Moorlands Athletic Clubs retrospectively.  A quick speech from the captain and we were underway.

The first part of the race was a one mile uphill to Solomons Temple, a Victorian Tower that offers amazing viewpoints to the outskirts of Buxton.  I have been here several times before for educational purposes, and this was no exception.

As I reached the top, I felt a sense of relief for the downhill. My legs were tired. Things didn’t go so well as soon as I started the descent towards the underbelly of the canopy.  Before I knew it, I had been thrown overboard by the greasy grass and I was a the mercy of the banks. I scrambled for my water bottle and looked to face the sky.  This stumble cost me places but lucky it didn’t lead to an injury.  I quickly found my feet thanks to the encouragement to those around me.  The fact that I decided to run in road shoes didn’t help prevent this incident. This is indeed a learning curve and I had paid the price.  My choice for these shoes was because they offered good support for my ankle.

For the next five minutes I took it steady until I found my feet once I reached the harder paths made by the wooden legs. I quickened my pace; my fall had cost me three or four places and dented my confidence.  No time to relax and think about the past I had to concentrate and look out for the wooden arms and the lose stones, and the odd dog walker!

I made it to the bottom of the descent after about a mile. This gave me time to catch my breath but I could feel my legs burning with the pace. I decided to go a little faster on the uphill’s until I got to the last steep hill by the start line. I had a quick walk to catch my breath and I started it again, as did the route for another lap.

In the second lap I saw a talented runner had also fallen to the grease that day. His name was Tyler, a Congleton runner I had gotten to know during the series. A better runner than I and one to watch out for the future. We ran together on the up hill towards the Temple once more.

I managed to hold off those behind me and I tried to catch the ones in front that had over taken me on my fall and on the descent.

I managed to gain a through yards on a couple of runners but struggled to gain much advantage until it came to the end of the descent where I managed to over take a couple of runners on the small hills.

It was certainly an up and down race, both in terms of my gymnastics and the course.  I almost managed to claim another place at the end of the race, as I ran someone to the line.

I managed to finish 12^th again with a time of 31minutes and 47 seconds.

Well done to Jack Ross for winning the race for Staff Moorlands, last time I saw him it was back in October and he had a broken toe.

Well done to Dale Colclough and Clive Hevey also, and for all the support that you both have offered me before and after the race. Thanks again.  Tyler also completed the race in an impressive 22^nd place after an injury he sustained during the race. Well done for the determination.

Well done to Matt Statham for coming in 26^th with 33 minutes and 42 seconds.

Roaches – Summer Series 2013 June 13th

I had being looking forward to the Roaches race all week, even if I was a little tired after the Potters ‘Alf.

I also decided to do a training run around Ipstones and Foxt on Tuesday evening, which resulted in a five-mile run.

Thursday quickly came around and the time for knee high socks and shorts were acquired for the wet weather we had in the day.  After a bit of a rush from work, I made my way to my playground of the roaches, just below the peak district. 

I was excited about the race, as I knew the area well and I know some of the lines to take over the top of the ridge.

On arrival to the start line, there seemed to be a lot more cars than I had previously seen at other races. Then again this was to be expected.  Am sure am not the only one attracted to the Roaches.  The views that it has to offer on a summers evening are impressive to say the least.  Am sure this was race was setting up for a classic. Though the weather had decided not to join the party, instead it sent winds and the odd bit of rain.

Before the start of the race, I meet Clive, a runner from Endon who is well known for running the Paddy Buckley challenge in Wales and he also helped my brother during his night session. He recognized me, as I look similar to my brother. Must be the beards.  It was nice to meet someone who also said that he uses the Roaches as his “playground”, and who has a passion for the landscape and running. Though I pretty sure most people at the race we say the same. It was good to get some hints and tips for my running from Clive. I do hope to catch you again sometime soon. 

The race got under way and we headed up to the roaches to the main path that leads between Hen Cloud and the Roaches.  I felt tired as soon as the race started and I wasn’t sure If I would make it all the way round. With this in mind, I started a little slower than I normally would.  I think doing the Potters ‘Alf may of taken too much from me.  I continued to battle with my wits and those amongst me.

To my surprised though I did managed to overtake a few people over on the way up to roaches. This was the path between higher and lower tier rocks. I did have a bit of power walk at several stages to try and save my legs. As I reached the start of the ridge I saw Tyler from Congleton at the top stretching his legs. He waited for me and we pushed on together. We ran at an even pace across the top of the ridge. I love running across the top for two main reasons, one being the view and the other for the technique running that is required. To leap and bounce over the sandstone like child creates a sense of joy as if I was biting into my very first birthday cake. Yum.

As we reached Roach End we had a bit of cap between us and those behind, and we had even managed to catch up with some others runners.  It was here that Tyler decided to up his game and he pressed on without me. I tried to keep in touch with him, but he was to good for me.  Though by trying to keep up with him meant that I did over take the runners in front. 

And as I did someone whizzed passed me, he was clearly going for it on the road. I thought I would hope to catch him at the back end of the Roaches.  I did so, and managed to create a bit of gap when going over the muddy paths behind the back of the roaches and Hen Cloud.  I even managed to pull in a bit of space from Tyler.

I stayed in this position until the end of the six mile race.

I think I managed to finish around the 43 minute mark in 12^th place. Another good result for Team Raidlight.

I congratulate Tyler for his impressive race and clapped for those that were coming in.

This was an exciting race and I did enjoy racing over the roaches once more. It was nice to find out that some many people enjoy the natural beauty in the peaks, and on my doorstep.

Well done To Gareth Briggs for finishing second in the Race.

Potters 'Alf 9th June

Having been bullied into doing the Potters ‘Alf by my Brother, I was kind of nervous and not looking forward to event, as I don’t really like running on roads. However this was an exception as this was going to be a family affair. My Brother Ant, was doing the race, and even more impressive was the fact that middle brother Steve had be persuaded into doing the race too. Though my twin sister had pulled out. Maybe next time though.

Bethell Bullets

The morning of the race had come, as usual I was a bundle of nervous, and anxious about was about to come.

My preparation involved stretching and eating two boiled eggs, one more than I usually do!

We set off to Hanley, otherwise branded as the City Centre. We arrived about one hour before the start time.  There was a certain buzz in the air and I could already see a lot of runners warming up.  We meet Ant and Steve in Costa Coffee. They had decided to get some needed caffeine. I opted out of this, as coffee gives me the shakes. Not that I wasn’t nervous or shaking anyway. Rattle, Rattle.

Now you may already know a little bit about Anthony my brother or as Forest. He was a little stiff from the Shutlingloes race and from the training that week, but I still expected him to have a good race.  As he always does.  My other brother Steve has only being running for three months and was set for the challenge of the concrete hills.  This is impressive to even consider doing after such a short period. Hats off to him. I had previously had a training session with him. And he looked in good shape, so I was worried about him beating me.  Maybe I will have to trip him up at the start line…

After a few visits to the rest room, we headed out to the start line to have a bit of jog. Before I even left the shopping centre I had lost both brothers, so I went to start to await for them. I never saw Ant until after the race, but I did see Steve just before the start as we both decided to take moment to ease the pressure of liquid in our stomachs before hand. I fact I missed the start by a 30 seconds or so.

And that’s how my race began. I decided that I needed to work my way through the field, so I wormed my self through high spirits and smiley faces. I finally got into my stride just after leaving the City Centre to head up through Fenton. I saw a few familiar faces along the way, including Steve and I wished him luck. I also meet up with a few people that had being doing the summer series, Tyler from Congleton Athletic club.  I ran with him up to the top of Fenton. The weather had decided to continue smiling upon us, like it had being doing all week.  The heat did start to rise within the first few miles and I knew we were in for a warm one.

I kept my pace going and started to progress through the field. As I tried to maintain my pace, my shins and legs felt tired. So I decided to throw lots of water on them.  I felt a little heavy, but I was enjoying the crowds of people that cheered everyone on. In fact the crowds were amazing, well done to the people of Stoke for getting behind the runners. Some had even made additional water stations and even handed out a few oranges and my favorite Jelly Babies. Result

As I went through Longton, I could start to feel the my legs, but I was also determined to keep at my pace, and try to keep an eye on those in front. I did manage to pass a few more people on the up hills, and realised that this was my strong point, where as I found it hard on the flat parts.

After about an hour of running, I start to get a tired and need some more water and additional food, I hadn’t packed any gels or food. I did manage to take an orange from someone in Bucknell, thankyou. Though it did make me feel sick.

This was about 8 miles in.

It was at this point that Tyler can running past me like a steam train, good running from him. I wished him luck and told him to go for it. I found myself interchanging positions with a group of runners from Trentham running club. I managed to keep up with them till Holden lane bridge when two of them broke away. The good thing was that we had been overtaking other runners too.

It got to Heart Break Hill, the classical part of the Potters ‘Alf I had heard so much about. I decided to just go for it, as I had saved a little bit of energy for the hill. My plan did work and I managed to overtake a few more runners, but struggled to catch the two Trentham runners and Tyler.  I did however catch a few more people on the home straight. 

Just before the end I saw my Brother Anthony who gave me extra encouragement to the finishing line by running with me. It pushed me on and I managed to quicken my pace.

On the way to the finishing line, there were rows of people, sometimes four lines deep, applauding the efforts made by some 1500 people on a Sunday Morning.  It was overwhelming to see so many people clapping.  It really did inspire you to keep running. Thanks again for those that came and supported me and the other runners.

I managed to cross the line with a time of 1hr and 28 minutes in 63^rd place. I was really pleased to finish under the 90 minute mark.

I later found out that my brother had finished 9^th and won his class. Well done Ant Great running from you.

I was that greeted with a muffin and some Water from Cara, thank you.  Though I did almost fetch it back up.

I also saw some close friends on mine come into finish their first half marathon. All under the 1hr and 50 minute mark. Well done to Ben, Gilbert and Angus for achieving this. To complete a hard half marathon on such a sunny day is amazing.

My Brother Steve came in under two hours, an amazing achievement considering how long he has being running for. Well Done Steve. He was pushed from the Heart Broke Hill with my other brother running along side him until the finish. Am really proud of Steve and my friends for complete this challenge it just goes to show what the human body can do when you have the determination and will.

After the Race (Steve, Ant, Me)

Afterwards (Ben, Ant, Angus, Me, and Gilbert)