Middle Pack

After the fun of Jack Bloor, I thought another of these short sharp blasts was a great way to spend an evening. So I decided to get myself up the the Kildwick Fell race. A measly 3.9 miles with 860ft crammed into those miles.

As always with these evening races, there is a mad dash to pick people up and get out of Leeds to register for the race and get sorted. Once arriving, we managed to register and get ourselves sorted and over to the start line before the heavens opened.

Soon we were starting and as soon as the race started the rain stopped, leaving a cool evening air, and the great smell after a recent rain shower. Perfect for a run.

The race starts with a steep road ascent before hitting moorland and upwards still. I felt a load better than Jack Bloor last week, but was apprehensive not to push too hard too early. The up soon gave way to a gradual descent back down to tarmac and me thinking I was on my way back to the finish so started to push a bit only for the people in front of me to disappear back up the hill again. Damm, back up to the top again, I wish I had looked at the race route beforehand. So up again, lungs now gasping and rasping. Always seems to be the time the photographer gets snap happy and catches you looking pained and deadly serious as you concentrate on not stopping to catch breath.

This time the ascent was shorter but a lot steeper, and soon we were back downhill, gradual, followed by steep followed by tarmac and very steep. Before you know it you are sprinting (if you can call it that) across the field to the finish, before stopping and trying to catch some breath.

The best bit about these evening races is the pub afterwards. A swift pint, a catch up with other runners you know and a bit of banter. Oh and if you are lucky a prize. Somehow I managed to come away with a bottle of wine for my efforts.

Final result was 17th out of 105 in a time of 29.27. Winner was Jonny Bradshaw from Wharfedale in a time 26.02, but ran closely in by Tom Adams from Ilkley only 2 seconds behind. There are some seriously fast juniors around that are giving the seniors a real run for their money.

The foot was hurting afterwards, but I know that I am reasonably confident on it on shorter distances and races. So with that in mind any long distance stuff is going to be on the bike this year and only short stuff on the fells.

Huge thanks to Brett and the marshalls for organising a real cracker of a race. A great pub afterwards as well.

I would like to thank David Brett for the use of the photos. Some of the others are absolutely great! Definately worth a look at. Bob Wightman was also taking photo’s so you can check out his as well.

The Jack Bloor fell race is an annual race to raise money for the Jack Bloor fund. This is a fund to help people without the means to pursue their dreams in the outdoors. A great cause and a worthy cause. It also happens to be a great race over Ilkley Moor! One of the few short fell races where navigation and recce’s really do make a difference (as I found out to my cost)

It is also another race in the Valley Striders Fell Championship and as it was a short race I though I would use it as a bit of a test of the foot and my runnnig fitness.

On turning up, Ilkley moor looked stunning! Blue skys and people dotted all over the side of the moor as the juniors were running their races. There was a bit of a breeze but an ideal evening for a race. After a quick registration and a few questions about sneaky route choices we were off.

I set off at what was my standard race pace (first mistake) and was soon at the first checkpoint, I was also first strider at this point. A slightly wrong line from the checkpoint and down to second strider. This I felt a bit better about as my lack of any serious training for the last 6 months meant I should be a lot further back, but I thought its only a short race. I will live.

A great descent to the next checkpoint and although the breathing was a tad erratic the legs were loving the stretch. Holding position and seeing other struggle on the hill, off I went towards checkpoint 3. I got to the top of a short ascent and then a stitch came on very fast. It felt like i had been stabbed and I couldn’t get any air. I just couldn’t breath in at all and was slowing with every step. This wasn’t meant to happen? I was forced to stop and stand still with my hands on my head just trying to get myself sorted. People streaming past me, including another two striders who just nodded and carried on (cheers for helping guys, don’t worry it wasn’t a heart attack). Soon the pain subsided and off I went again. I now think I was at my proper position in the field as I was able to hold position but not really manage to catch anyone until the final descent. I didn’t take the best line but I took better lines than a few others so gained a spot, lost a spot and sprinted up the final funnel to a painful 52nd out of 228 runners in a time of 49m 12 seconds.

A reasonable result considering the lack of actual running I have done, but still disappointing considering people I have raced with and been around on the final results over winter and autum of last year were top 25 and a good three or four minutes faster. This has been a better test of fitness, and it has given me a bit of motivation to get moving with things. The foot is no better, but also no worse so I am just going to start picking thing and see what happens.

The second in the Valley Striders fell champs was the now infamous Windmill Wizz. Usually a 10km multi-terrain race starting and finishing at Ogden Waters, between Halifax and Haworth. This time the race was going to be considerably longer for a fair few participants.

I set off at a fair pace and tried to get into a rhythm across the moorland section with the thought of pushing on as soon as I hit the road. This tactic was working well as I pushed on into a fairly stiff breeze. I was trying to keep up with another Valley runner and had him in sight (albeit with good eyesight and clear visibility)  in the hope that I could pull a bit back later on in the race. As soon as we hit the road section, we followed the race leaders and the markers off to the right and up a steep road section. Up an up we were going for about 3/4 of a mile, all of a sudden people started slowing and scratching heads, shrugging shoulders and then the realisation that there wasn’t any more markers to show the way.

At some point between the organiser putting all the flags out and the runners setting off, some joker thought it would be a great idea to move the flags as the road turning. Unfortunately myself and a fair few others had ran a long way and on turning back many other runners seeing the mistake also turned heels and headed back. This then meant the leading groups were now virtually at the back of the race.

So off we went some at an astonishing pace to try and catch up. Me, well I was more resigned to a bad time and just enjoyed the run, taking in the scenery and a cheery hi as I pass loads of people on the run to the finish.

I have to admit it was good to be passing people right through the second half of the race, instead of hanging on for dear life to keep position. Was also nice to not be stressing about position or the person bearing down on me from behind.This is something I must remember for some future runs as this usually only happens in LDWA events where I run carefree.

Loads of runners stayed for the prize giving, a lighthearted affair with the prizes going to the ones first across the line (as it should be) despite the markers being moved.

Everyone was in good spirits and it was all accepted as just one of those things.  I wonder if the same would have happened in a city 10km race? No-one chases a PB in these types of races and people are out there for the enjoyment of the hills and running as opposed to times and pace. This showed at Windmill Wizz.

As always, huge thanks to the organisers and the marshalls.

Final result 59th out of 122.

Full results and report by the organiser

Local news

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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If its good enough for Scott Jurek then its good enough for me!

Recently I read that Scott Jurek takes off a good month and a half each year to rest and relax before taking on the next season. Now this has taken my mind off my injury and my running season. For many days I was thinking about is my foot good enough for running again? Should I try it? Am I losing speed? Will I be fit enough for my race goals for the year? What will happen when I start running again?

I am a bit more relaxed about things now. I have done a similar thing to Scott Jurek, albeit a forced lay off. I have managed to get a few more times out with mates,  enjoying my biking again and looking at getting more involved with that. I have also spent more time just chilling. I am still exercising but it is less serious.

I am re-assessing some of my seasons goals but not so bothered about it now. I don’t feel like I am ready for coming back to hard running training yet and I am now thinking middle of Feb I may start running again? I may not though as I will hopefully have a new bike. Who knows? Just good to know that even some of the best take a good chunk of time off.