Middle Pack

noonstone-fell-raceTo sum this race up in one sentence would be “great fun, but not my finest moment”

I made the journey out there with a few others for the first of our club Fell Championships only to find I had forgotten my fell shoes! So this being described as a “beast” on the website also there would be considerable amounts of mud, bogs, groughs and steep hills. I was not impressed. I hummed and arrghhed about buying some more shoes at the shop, but having paid for a bike the day before I wasn’t feeling too flushed for cash. The other option were my road shoes or don’t do it.

I tried not to do the race initially, quoting my physio “take it easy”, then mentioned weak ankles, lack of grip, and anything else I could think of to get out of running in flats. It all fell on deaf ears and eventually I was convinced to line up with another 250 runners for the 9 miles of mud and hills.

The start was flat road to the base of a hill then a steep climb up onto the tops. Not too much of a climb but it seemed like I was taking twice as many steps as everyone else as I just couldn’t get grip. Resporting to all fours scramble made it faster, but not easier but I was up the first hill and off! Then the mud! Gloopy stuff was fine as I sank up to the ankles. Grip wasn’t therefore an issue, only issue was keeping your shoes on. As the first descent was coming up this was going to be the make or break for the race.

I minced and shuffled down the hill, as everyone else streamed past me. I took myself off the racing line so I didn’t slow others and also to get that imaginery grip I was so hoping for.

On hitting the flat maintained bridleway at the bottom of Stoodley Pike I tried to push on as much as I could as I knew the rest of the route would be tough with no grip. Passing a load of people along the path and up to the top of the hill, then they all passed me again on the way down the other side of the hill down.  The rest of the race was a struggle between falling flat on face or falling on my arse as I tried to pass people, only to fall over and get passed again.

Coming up to the final descent, my knee was bleeding, my face was covered in mud from a face first head plant into a bog, my number had come off and it was sodden and covered in mud.

I decided the final descent was best taken sitting down, with the occasional get on feet and slowly get down the hill. The thought being I had got this far with only superficial wounds, I wasn’t going to injure myself seriously on the final descent. Then a quick sprint to the finish and it was all over.

An interesting race and I am glad that I took part, although disappointed that I didn’t have proper shoes as I reckon I would have been a good 20 places further up the field.

Final postion was 58th out of 251 starters.

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