Bullock Smithy 2012 preview (and another significant event)

The first full weekend in September is the date traditionally reserved for the Bullock Smithy Hike. The event involves a 56 mile circuit through the Peak District which starts and finishes at Hazel Grove in Stockport and is organised by the dependable and well organised, 3rd Hazel Grove Scout Group. This year the date has further significance within the ultra running community as it is shared with both the Ultra Trail Tour du Mont Blanc (UTMB) and more significantly the Dragon's Back race in Wales. The Dragon's Back is a 200 mile endurance epic that has only been run once before in 1992. It begins at 7am on Sunday morning three hours before the Bullock Smithy presentation!

 

The Dragon's Back is an endurance run of unparallelled difficulty. Many consider it to be the toughest endurance race ever organised.The race involves running over the spine of the Welsh Dragon from Conway Castle in the North to Carreg Cennen Castle in the South, with the minor obstacle of 45,000ft of the harshest Welsh Mountain territory in between. The legend of the Dragon's Back is best understood by watching the footage from the 1992 event. The Independent has also previewed the race. Fellow Bullock Smithyers might be interested to know that many of next weeks Dragon's Back entrants have run previous Bullock Smithy's, including the most revered female Dragon's Backer who won the event in 1992 with her partner Martin Stone. Scan your finger down the 1999 Bullock Smithy results, It wont be long before you find her.

 

In 1999 I approached the summit of Chinley Churn then scrambled down to the check point which lies underneath the rocks. As usual I was out of breath after the long ascent from Furness Vale. Just as I checked in I was met by a female runner that appeared to have run the long route from Whalley Bridge. "Oh hello, that's a crafty route you took?" she said easily as she pointed to the map in her hand. I tried to catch my breath to explain that I'd run the event many times before and that the route from Furness Vale was generally favoured but the tanned, long legged female literally sprang off down the hillside towards the drinks stop at Peep 'o' Day.

 

That chance meeting had a big impact on me, I have never forgotten it. The female that I had encountered looked supremely fit, absolutely glowing, she had long tanned legs and was tall and thin but looked very powerful. The woman was as visually fit as I had ever seen anybody before or since. I remember trying to keep up with the woman as she bounded off with long strides down the hill. I floundered hopelessly in her wake. I was so impressed (or so embarrassed) that when I got to the roadside drinks stop I had to talk about it. "Did you see that, did you see that woman, where is she?" I asked. It was too late. I had no idea who she was but she had left for Edale Cross. I didn't see her again - not even at the finish.

 

I was later to learn that I had been privileged to meet Helene Diamantides (now Helen Whitaker) one of the best endurance athletes of all time and the woman who doesn't recognise gaps between male and female performance. Diamantides had driven from Scotland to take part in the Bullock Smithy in 1999, she finished 2nd in 9 hours 22 minutes then got straight back in her car and drove back home to Scotland. It is widely believed that if she knew the route as well as Bullock Smithy legend Tony Okell (previous winner of the Tour of Tameside among other notable achievements) who came home first, she would have won. Helene finished ahead of another endurance great, Mark Hartell which further underlines the significance of her run, and all whilst navigating with a map. There's a brilliant piece of footage (here at 7:47 in) where Diamantides and Stone run to a checkpoint in the 1992 Dragon's Back event. Stone appeals to find a stream or stay at the checkpoint long enough to have a drink but Diamantides is having none of it, directing that instead her partner must "take water with him" you can almost feel the desperation as if Stone re-recognises the colossal partner that he has become involved with, as he mutters "oh God". Helen Whittaker doesn't run quite as much these days but the lure of the Dragon has tempted her back. She will line up with the cream of international mountain runners in Conway again next Sunday morning. I am just as excited to see how the Dragon's back unfolds as to see how my own fitness carries me round the Bullock Smithy. To be able to witness the bravery and heroics of these people who can push themselves further than I dare dream is just as interesting for me as taking part in my own less demanding events.       

 

This years Bullock Smithy is again incorporated within the UK ultra distance championships. Hopefully that will attract more participants and make up for any loss of entrants who have bigger fish to fry. I understand that some of the Macclesfield Harriers regulars have a date with the dragon including another revered athlete who came second in 92. That  should leave Stockport Harriers to continue their recent dominance of the event. I am also aware of many particiants who will toil for the best part of 24 hours to hike around the course. Whether you are running or walking, looking for a time or just wanting to 'get round' it should be a good event on a great weekend for British endurance running.     

 

Roll on next weekend!

    




      

Long Tour of Bradwell 2012

The Long Tour of Bradwell involved a distance of 33 miles, 6,300' of ascent, navigational mayhem, a fight with a tree and a trip to Chesterfield Hospital. Thankfully I finished.

Go!!!

The weather forecast had predicted a hot one. It was difficult to get out bed at 5.45am but thankfully Tracy agreed to drive so I could get a couple more hours shut eye during the journey. Bradwell  lies in the heart of the glorious Peak District. We arrived from Grantham by 8am for a 9am start and the weather was overcast but warm. lots of familiar faces were present milling about taping ankles, packing bumbags or days sacs and generally keeping busy awaiting the start. Fifteen minutes before 9am we were escorted from the pavilion to the centre of the village to gather, ahead of the start. The horn honked promptly at 9am and off we went to suffer. 

The route climbs out Bradwell and across a moor to the top of Cave Dale. I have ascended Cave Dale many times, the Bullock Smithy, the Peaker's Stroll and the High Peak 40 are but three events that I can think of that all use the route. It was refreshing, for a change to run down through the valley which is flanked by steep, limestone out crags all the way to Castleton. I had been given two separate pieces of advice from learned long tourers, start slowly and start slowly. I started gingerly and by Castleton I had woken up, the sun was threatening the overhanging clouds and I felt good about the day ahead. I predicted that the run might take between 4 and 5 hours. that was the first mistake.  

Cave Dale

After Castleton the route climbs to Hollins Cross before a straight descent to Edale. By the summit of Hollins Cross I could see  across the valley. Kinder Scout was covered in mist. I had purchased a plotted route map for £3 but I noticed the checkpoint was in a difficult position off the path at the summit of the plateau. I was a little anxious about finding the control but there were plenty of runners to follow in front of me and I had printed off some route tips which were given to me from a previous participant. We descended off Hollins Cross and ran on through Edale village pausing at a checkpoint for water and biscuits. The route took us past the Nag's Head (the start or finish of the Pennine Way) and out to climb the magnificent Kinder Scout. I was reduced to a walk up the steep winding path towards Ringing Roger. My route tip suggested a path after a small cairn. I found the cairn and the path was confirmed by another runner heading off into the mist in front of me. At the summit there was enough visibility to see the control at Druid's Stone but it involved a scramble across heather gause to get there.   After the Checkpoint at Druid's Stone a scramble back across the heather before a steep descent out of the mist and back into the Edale valley.

It was warm by now and apparent that this route involved a lot of climb including rough terrain. My initial enthusiasm and contempt was put into check as we climbed back up to the Great Ridge ahead of a run across the top to Loosehill and a descent towards Hope. The checkpoint near Hope was at Killhill Bridge at the same position as the checkpoint for the Peaker's Stroll which I had visited some weeks earlier. From the bridge the route crosses the lower parts of WinHill, then on towards Ladybower before a switch back to Bamford.

I had cast an eye over the route before leaving the start and was quite sure that we had to climb to the summit of Winhill. I knew we had to depart in a differnt direction to the Peaker's Stroll route but i was certain that we were required to get to the summit. The field of runners had by now started to thin out. I had walked out of Killhill Bridge eating a complimentary cliff bar and washing down an electrolyte drink to combat the sweat loss which I was experiencing in the warm conditions. I had to resort to the route description and map to find my way. About two miles after leaving the checkpoint I saw a sign post for Win hill. I decided to pocket the route description, save myself some time and just take a straight line following the signposts to the summmit. Thankfully as I ran merrily up the road Peter Barr of Retford AC was coming back to me. Peter suggested we had gone wrong. I protested the sign post but it was then explained to me that we weren't supposed to summit Win hill but instead run around it. I wasn't sure. I got out my map and pointed confidently to the organiser's instruction which read, in red bold type "you must visit the summit". I was very embarrassed when peter pointed out that I was pointing at the Loosehill the summit that we had just visited. Peter saved me a summit of Win hill and if you read on you will notice it was not the only time he saved me during my 'Longer Tour of Bradwell'.  I ran on to Bamford and watched Peter disappear out of sight ahead of me. 

Nick Ham - Grand Slam

After Bamford there is another difficult climb up a track apparently known locally as 'the escalator' which leads all the way up to Stanage Edge. I got lost on here too. I carried on the road, into a farm yard and out the other side. I was suspicious when I entered a field. It didn't feel right so I retreated and saw a host of other runners slogging up the escalator adjacent to the road which I had followed. I should have beared right. The errors meant I was slipping down the field, I had lost rhythm and pace and had to gee myself on a bit. The escalator was however sure to knock a bit more out of me.

My race tips had included a warning that the checkpoint control was before the summit. I was informed that previous participants in other years had missed it. Thanks to my instructions I found the control just off the path and fairly hidden from the main route. This event uses electronic dibbers to accurately record your time. I dibbed my electronic dibber which I had affixed to my wrist into the plastic hole housing, It beeped and I ran on. Just before the summit I saw Peter Barr running back again. I hadn't seem him since he ran away from me after my 'Win Hill moment'. I knew I hadn't gone wrong this time, he'd missed the checkpoint. He had ran perhaps half a mile further on to the summit and had to retrace his steps. "Soul destroying", I thought. 

Great running follows the high ridge all the way to Upper Burbage Car park. My momentum had come back. I felt like I was running through the sky, the sun was now shining brightly it was humid and there were fantastic views stretching out across the hope valley. "This was brilliant running" I thought, as I ran strongly across the ridge towards Burbage car park. I ran this section with a Paul Booth of Pennine Fell Runners. Paul was undertaking his final long run before the Ultra Trail Tour du Mont Blanc in a few weeks time. 

Crossing Stanage Edge

There are three route choices to Burbage Bridge I chose the middle route but missed a turn off at the bottom and had to ask for the help of a couple of passing dog walkers who relocated me on the map. I was pretty spent by this point and it was either ask for help or waste time helping myself, the former seemed preferable. I ran down the road, not far wrong but enough for another bevy of runners to gazump me one of which included Peter Barr! I was actually grateful to find another pack of runners, Paul from Pennine had run on stronger than I and the next section to Upper Padley was difficult to navigate. Eventually after trusting a previous year's participant we found the 14th checkpoint.

After we had all dibbed in there ensued a debate about the correct way to go. The group of perhaps six of us was split 50/50 about whether to go right or drop through the wooded valley. In a fit of pique I must have remembered my master map reading skills and decided to form my own opinion. I looked at the map and was confident we just had to head down until we would eventually find the railway. A member of the opposing group had a GPS but it was only a GPS on his watch so I judged it wasn't worth relying on, another mistake. The group split, two runners followed my and the others headed off in a different direction following the GPS strapped to the others man's wrist. Shortly after our descent I bumped into two teenage lads I asked them the way to the railway and they duly pointed in the direction that the GPS man had run. It was too late for us, they had gone and we were now further down the wood. I took some verbal instructions from the boy about how to find the railway and we ran on trying to remember them. Eventually we came out by Grindleford Railway Station. I knew the route to Hathersage from here. I had run a reverse of it on another event some years earlier. We ran on to the drinks checkpoint near Hathersage before the final climb up to Abney and on to the finish. I was pretty knackered by now and feeling the effects of the sun. I drank lots of water and ate two jam sandwiches although I didn't really feel like it.

Head Banging.

Head scratch

I left the penultimate check point which was the final drinks stop with Peter Barr (my saviour from earlier), Micheal Plummer and a couple of other folks. I hadn't met Micheal Plummer before but I found out that the Long Tour of Bradwell is his latest event in his quest to complete the grand slam of UK ultra distance running. He is attempting to complete all the races in the UK ultra distance championships. He told me that it was Nick Ham's (another grand slammer) fault that he had taken on the challenge. After hearing Nick muse about the joys of a previous year's grand slam he went home, drank a bottle of red wine and then confessed to his partner that the quality of their time together might suffer because he had decided to devote the best part of a year to training for, recceing and taking part in ultra distance running events. I hope he achieves his goal.

We ran up towards Abney through the final arduous climb of the day. At some point before the last self dib checkpoint we entered a wood with a descent. I was shuffling along quiet happily in front of the others at a fair pace when suddenly, wallop, I was flat out. I had run into an overhanging tree branch. I rose to the concern of the others who had caught up. I had not seen the branch at all. I put my hand to my head to rub the pain away but it was bleeding heavily. The others seemed worringly concerned and I was told that it was a nasty gash that needed treatment. I panicked a bit not knowing how bad the wound was. It was bleeding like billyo but I was aware that head wounds often do. Peter stepped in and saved me again! He insisted that I had the wound dressed and he dispatched from his bag two plasters which he affixed and secured with tape by wrapping the tape around my head Terry Butcher style (for those that remember). I found out post race that Peter works in pharmacy. I could not have asked to be in better company. I am very grateful for Peter's help, he sacrificed time to help me thank you very much. I also appreciated Michael's reassurance that he wouldn't leave me until the finish - great, thanks a million.

I stumbled on through the wood still concerned not knowing the severity of the wound. I kept looking at my buff which I was using to apply pressure but the buff was black and wet from sweat so I couldn't see if the wound was still bleeding. The incline in the wood went on forever but eventually I came out at the road. There was a spectator at the top, Peter had run on and Michael was some way back. The spectator questioned if I was ok after seeing me clutching the buff to my head. I asked him how bad it looked. "It doesn't look good but you should finish" was the reply. I ran on, it would have been desperate if I had to retire  at this stage, with only two miles left to run. Just before the turn up the final track I was able to do a self assessment in a car wing mirror. The wound wasn't bleeding and at last I felt a bit more confident that my head wasn't going to split it two!



Dibbing in at the finish

I ran to the finish which involved a steep descent to Bradwell village. Whilst supping tea on the grass outside the pavilion my attention was drawn to two other runners with bloody heads. After discussion with one of them it seems the very same tree had also taken him out. I thanked Peter and Micheal for their help and left for a well deserved pint in the village pub. I had finished 35th in 7 hours 10 minutes 11 seconds. I am sure I can take a chunk off that time now that I have seen the course and more importantly, I know the location of the angry trees. Ian Symington formerly of Macclesfield Harriers was first home after a great run and ahead of his attempt at the Dragon's Back later in the year....good luck!

Tracy then took me to A&E but we had to travel to Chesterfield because Buxton was likely to be closed and perhaps not able to deal with stitches. The wound is actually superficial but I thought stitches might help it heal properly and avoid infection. Sadly I passed out whilst the nurse was cleaning the wound out, what a drama! It wasn't necessarily painful but it felt like the nurse was running a knife through the middle of the cut. I've never passed out before but i was able to tell the nurse the way I was going before I hit the deck. The embarrassment of the recovery room then followed. Thanks to Tracy for bringing some food in from the car. In twenty or so minutes I was back feeling normalish and we were discharged. I wished I had let it heal itself. The day ended at a chip shop in Chesterfield where I replenished with pie chips and peas before heading back to the camp site behind the Three Stags Head at Wardlow Mires. My bed was a welcome sight but not before a pint of black lurcher of course.   

FULL RESULTS

ROUTE

A FEW PICS

  

Jagermeister 10K 2012

I was offered a lift to the Jagermeister 10k which presented an opportunity too good to miss. In truth, I'd had my fill of 10k races having run around the distance too many times just six days earlier. My team captain from the previous week's Thunder Run was the driver and together we made up the only two Grantham runners to compete the tenth anniversary of the Jagermeister race. I have no idea how a German digestif came to sponsor a low key race in Nottingham but it worked very well indeed. Stuart seemed to have more enthusiasm as we drove across to Nottingham at about 5pm on the Friday evening. I viewed the race as something of a continuation of the previous weeks nightmare endurance event.

The Jagermesiter 10K takes place within the campus of Nottingham University, somewhere behind Queens Medical Centre on the fringe of the City. The campus was pleasantly green with quiet service roads passing through the undulating campus. Adjacent to the modern student buildings is the magnificent white Portland Building which houses the students union. As we ran round a 'warm up' lap of the race course I remarked how the grandeur of the building was somewhat different to the student union that I sometimes frequented some years earlier, in city centre Liverpool.

Stuart and I warmed up by running round a lap of the two and half lap course. It became apparent that the undulations would be the major challenge. Stuart's enthusiasm had continued, as he sprinted up the first hill he recommended that I "power into the hill" during the race. I privately contemplated that I might just try and "survive" the hill during the race. The route around the service roads would eventually head out around a lake which further added to the picturesque campus setting.

Jagerfinish

The race began at 7pm. I had been lucky to get an entry. I took a chance on entry on the night and was able to pick up the second to last place even though we arrived to register over an hour before the race started. The gun fired and perhaps 200 runners set off up the first undulation. I saw Stuart head of at a pace faster than I could manage. I thought that I would try and keep him in sight but when I hit the top of the first hill he was out of sight at the other side. I didn't see him again until we shook hands at the finish! I ran on feeling a little heavy but soon finding race pace as I ran past the costa coffee shop on the campus (they get everywhere don't they?) The first lap passed uneventfully but I was glad to get out on the second lap with about 6k to run. At the start of the second lap it was good to be encouraged by Mark and Helen also of Grantham AC, who were at road side having decided to come and spectate after a day shopping in the city centre. Part of the race route ran through the courtyard of the Portland building. We had anticipated merry students enjoying a Friday evening drink but I assume the summer vacation has started because other than a wind whipping round the courtyard there was nothing else there.

A deflated finish photo coutesy of Helen Brown, Grantham AC

By the second and a half lap I was into a better pace and feeling fairly strong I began to move through the field. My biggest difficulty running 10k which I guess is fairly common is maintaining the intensity of pace and the intensity of breathing that the distance demands, too far to sprint but not long enough to find a coasting pace. The last two k ran from the lake, up a path on to a service road and the incline continued to the finish. I was glad to get back after the challenge of the final incline. I ran under the inflatable finish gantry which had deflated and was being propped up by volunteers. I met Stuart as I walked through the funnel. Stuart had nailed the course in a fast time of 39 minutes and ?? seconds (awaiting results) a big achievement given the exertions of the previous week. I was about three minutes behind.

This was a good  value race. For a fee of £12 runners received a technical t-shirt with the text "keep running and party on" emblazoned across the front. In addition racers received a running bottle, cranberry juice, sweets and of course a shot of Jagermeister! Not perhaps the most usual post race drink but I can confirm my shot slipped down a treat...      

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING PROMISE - I AM NOW DONE WITH 10K'S (for a bit) AND LOOK FORWARD TO RUNNING LONG AGAIN STARTING WITH THE LONG TOUR OF BRADWELL NEXT WEEK, A NICE, LONG, EASY PACED ROUTE, NO BALLS OUT....

Thunder Run 2012 (TR24).

Why Would You?

Grantham AC

Imagine a stranger suggesting that you suspend your usual Saturday training and instead  do a 10k race at noon at "balls out" speed (I think the balls are eye balls and the speed means fast). After that at around 6pm you will be required to do another "balls out" 10k race across the same undulating, off road tracks. For good measure the stranger then suggests another 10k, later in the evening at perhaps 11pm, this time at as close to "balls out" speed as you can muster. You can then go to sleep, but at approximately 3am you will be woken from your slumber and asked to do.... you've guessed it, another balls out 10k. The following morning at about 9.30am a final lap of the technically tough course will seal the strangers proposal. Finally you must give the stranger £30 after he informs you that any sleep you do manage to get between races will be in a field.

Two thousand five hundred people thought that was a great proposal and duly parted with 30 hard earned pounds in order to enter the Thunder Run  event at Catton Park.      

The Thunder Run is a 24 hour event where runners enter either as teams of between two and eight runners or if you are daring and daft enough you can go solo. The idea is to run around a tough, technical, off road course which winds, undulates and switches back several times, before returning to the start/finish area where you pass a wrist band on to your next team member. In the case of a solo entrant you pass through the start/finish area and begin your next lap.... 



Grantham Running Club entered two teams of eight runners, a fast team and a faster team. I approached this race cautiously. I've run many long distance races but I've never entered a team event and never an event that would require bursts of race speed with a few hours rest in between over a long period of time. I thought that  10k's with 4 hours rest in between wouldn't present too much of a problem. In the event I found TR24 to be just as hard as other ultras which I have finished but perhaps for different reasons. An unusual event, as I found out, throws up unusual issues all of its own. 

The Night Before The Day After.

TR24

I arrived at Catton park on Friday evening after a merry dance around the adjacent dog agility festival. As I drove around the tents I did question why so many runners had decided to bring their dogs to the event. It was the dog agility apparatus in the main arena which finally gave it away. I was on the wrong campsite. A phone call later and I was repatriated with familiar folk from the club at the campsite across the road. Adidas sponsored the event and had located a huge outdoor screen in the field adjacent to the start which would take place the following morning at midday. We spent the evening sitting on camp chairs with thousands of like minded runners watching the Olympics opening ceremony in the outdoor cinema. The atmosphere was fantastic. Surrounded by sporting folk we watched the opening of the biggest sporting event likely to take place on these shores for a long time. In addition, there was a collective undercurrent of our own anticipation spinning round the field as we too were about to start our own sporting endeavour the very next morning. I retired to the tent a little after 1am after the Olympic torch had been lit. It was very cold when I went bed and I was grateful to be sandwiched between two duvets.  

Race Day 1



Team Talk

The next morning able team Captain Sinclair rallied his team. I was to run with "Grantham Grate" we had outside hopes of a podium finish but team members who had done the event previously were aware that the event had got bigger since its inception in 2009 and so too had the quality of entrants. The raw talent of Arthur Short was supposed to be our first and strongest runner but he too had decided to have an unscheduled peek at the dog show. At a late minute I was drafted in to run the first leg alongside Helen Brown who was the first runner for Grantham's second team. 

The atmosphere from the previous night had continued. I once heard it said "if you are losing faith in human nature, go and watch a marathon" That maxim would extend to the Thunder Run. People milled about before the start visiting the trade stands, having their bodies tattooed, buying energy drinks and other merchandise and generally taking in the good nature of the event. The camaraderie of these events is to be experienced, every runner privately respecting that they, and the person alongside them is about to take part in a feat of endurance that is going to hurt but which will be lots of fun in an odd kind of way. 

The Race

At noon the klaxon sounded and I shot off at a fast pace through the grassy field. I was keen to start fast and keep up a good pace. I wanted to get clear of the masses and arrive back to give Captain Sinclair and the rest of the team the best chance of a clear run. The course was hard with endless twists, turns, switch backs, woods, grassy fields, inclines and descents. The course roughly followed the perimeter of the campsite. It had been well thought out because occasionally the route bought you through the fringes of the fields of tents where crowd support was in abundance. My first lap was completed in 44:05. I was glad to pass the band on to Stuart and have the first leg out of the way. 

Returning to the camp Scott Jones had arrived to put in a day shift which turned out to be a coupe of decent and consistent sub 49 minute laps. Arthur and Phil had also arrived and instead of pitching the tent decided to visit the trade stands and take in the atmosphere. Arthur took over from Stuart who had whizzed round his first lap in 43:17. Arthur went out in inspirational form, coming home in what turned out to be Grantham's fastest lap of the event in 41:54. Meanwhile in the second team, Helen Brown, 50:29 passed on to Robert McArdle, 48:43 who passed to Phil Hall who came home in 52:56. Things were looking good, everyone clocking good times and then enjoying the friendly atmosphere. 

Between laps runners could walk around the course cheering other team members or perhaps sit around the campsite talking and refreshing themselves for their next legs. I went out again at about 6:20pm. I went faster than leg one recording 43:35 but I began to realise that five of these laps was going to be a real challenge. The challenge was intensified when darkness fell at about 9:30 pm. Gordon Geach was having difficulty in the dark deciding whether to go to the right or left of trees and ultimately learning via a sore head that you can't go straight through them! Head torches was the order of the night. 

Into the Night



Captain Sinclair

My first night leg began at about 11:20pm. I was grateful that the darkness meant I had no choice but to run a slower pace. I had spent lots of energy on the first two laps and I couldn't have kept up the same degree of effort. I enjoyed the night section. Running through the dark woods with only distant head torches of other competitors for company was exciting. Occasionally you would pass a slower runner in front. The spirit of the event was illustrated as slower runners stood aside to let you passed and each exchanged words of encouragement.   I was a bit tired and perhaps a bit delusional during the night. I remember various fighting birds flapping aggressively in the trees. I heard them on two separate laps and was quite sure it would be a talking point back at campsite. Strangely nobody else witnessed the bird scraps and after reciting the story it prompted someone to ask me in a concerned way, if I was alright! Ben Mason arrived on Saturday evening and provided good fresh legs for the team effort clocking a solid 48:56 on his first lap. Is wasn't until Ben's third lap that he got to see the course in daylight.

I hit the sack after returning from leg three at approximately 12:30am. Other team members had also begun to get some sleep. We agreed that when returning from night legs you would be responsible for waking the person that was to take over from the runner that you had handed on to. It meant that you were woken with about 50 mins to prepare. It was at this point that things began to get really hard. I tried to sleep at 12:30am but really only manged to rest my eyes. At about 2:30am Ben Mason called me from outside the tent, "Paul, your on next" was my call, "and there's a message from Mark Hillson, he says don't wake him till at least 6am". I was confused and tired but I staggered out of my sleeping bag donned my head torch and cobbled together some running shorts and a vest. It was cold now and there was a balance to be struck between wearing enough to keep warm before the start but not to much that it took ages to remove it. I stumbled out of the tent and wondered across to the white board which had our leg times written upon it. It was lonely at camp central, everyone else was either in bed or on the course. I checked to see who I had to wake when I got back. I was surprised that Mark Hillson was due to go out at 5:45am but was certain that my instruction had been not to wake him before 6am. I had already woken him prematurely before the previous leg so I decided to ponder the issue during my fourth lap which began at 4:20am. It wasn't natural to get out of a tent at 3am and be on race start line at 4:20am. It's not natural for me to get out of bed at 3am ever. My body didn't like it one bit, my stomach was in knots, not assisted by the generous handful of chocolate covered coffee beans I had eaten as I staggered down to the start. I think it was Ben Hatherley that handed over to me and out I ran chasing dawn.



I struggled with stomach cramps and a raw throat, symptoms which I notice other runners have described on other blogs. Despite the discomfort I was lucky to run the leg into dawn. It was dark when I set off and light when I arrived back 49:05 minutes later. A favourite part of the route was a long ridge at about 8k. To the left was a view across Derbyshire and the sky was particularly spectacular as the sun began to rise in the distance. I got strobbed vision during this leg, everything began to flash with a strobe affect, I suspect it was my eyes adjusting from dark to dawn. 



Thankfully on arrival back at camp Mark was awake. Other people had begun to emerge but I was having none of it. I went straight back to my sleeping bag with kit on and again questioned the madness of trying to sleep while my heart was beating ten to the dozen and my breath was matching the pace. Other team members continued heroically through the night. There were some minor scares in the morning when stray compatriots had to be shepherded to the relay pen but nothing which slowed our progress. It had become apparent during the night that we weren't going to make the podium. We were in 11th place and had all given everything we had to the cause. Despite that, the night running had been lots of fun, for me in a surreal kind of way. 

The Morning After



Change Pen

I managed perhaps another couple of hours kip before joining the others for breakfast. I decided to get up a bit earlier for my last leg and eat earlier to try and give the porridge time to settle. I found some peppermint tea (like you do?) in my tent. I was conscious that I needed to eat for energy but my lower stomach was still hurting in a pressured kind of way and I didn't feel like eating much at all. It was reassuring to learn that I wasn't the only team member struggling, Stuart had similar symptoms and had decided not do a final leg. He passed the honour on to the heroic Ben Hatherley who had run consistently fast throughout. Although he wasn't slowing down much it was a big ask to ask to do a fifth lap so soon after completing his fourth but step up to the plate he did and ran his final lap in good spirit in an amazing time of 47:53. 

Last Lap

My last lap was a bit of a crisis which required team effort to get me round. My stomach issue had subsided by the time I got to the start of lap five at about 9:30am on Sunday morning. I was feeling quite confident but not really looking forward to the last 6 miles. I set of at a leisurely pace with the aim of just getting round in a half decent time. I learnt that there is a lot of responsibility to team events, I didn't want to let the others down. At about 3k I became very tired my stomach was hurting again and even a slow death march wasn't easy. By 5k I was experiencing food obsession. I've had this before. I think the body gets so defueled it demands food. I was ravenous, absolutely crying out for food. I staggered down to the water station and drank three cups. I had heard Sarah High say that she had previously struggled at that point and three cups of water had helped. I drank three cups but water wasn't food. I felt nauseous and I was grateful to look up the track and see team members that had come out in support. "I needed food and I wasn't joking" I told them. Although they only had cameras Mark Hillson duly obliged and managed, despite a stomach full of ale (he had completed his final lap) a sprint back to the campsite. I carried on and half a K later I saw Mark arrive over the hill like the second coming and clutching a box of jaffa cakes. God was I grateful. I took a handful and marched off increasing my speed per jaffa cake eaten. They really did go down a treat, thanks Mark. My speed increased and I felt normal again, on I ran to finish the last lap relived in 55:06. Arthur Short ran a strong penultimate lap before Ben Hatherley went out for the final time. No crisis for Ben he whipped round in 47:53 talking to most spectators and runners as he passed. The effort was worth while. I was surprised that when looking at the results that we finished 7th out of 188 teams and our second team finished 34th, both creditable performances in my view given the size of the club. 

PICS TO FOLLOW

           

     

          

   

           

Woody's Toony Trot 10K

WOODY'S TOONIE TROT 10K - 2012

Grantham Athletic & Running Club

This was a Wednesday evening trail race hosted by the unusually named Toonies Express running club,  a multi disciplined running club based at Sleaford. The race was run across a 10k course, mainly off road from Woodland Waters Camping and Leisure Park. The race reminded me of the many mid week fell races that I used to race in the Peak District, simple races for a small entry fee and designed to make the most of long summer evenings. Despite good intentions the weather on the night was not good. "The jet stream is moving" so we are told, it was obviously not moving fast enough. I returned from work intending to cycle the 6 or so miles to Woody's. No sooner had I changed when the skies opened in spectacular style. I decided to cycle anyway. It was warm in that sticky kind of way and although I was going to get wet, I knew I wouldn't get cold. I set off for Woody's before 6pm and arrived some 30 minutes later.     

Many Grantham runners had turned out and we assembled for a team photo ahead of the race start. After the start, a part circumference of a Lake took runners into a wood which came out on a typical rural track. The tractor track was to represent the majority of the route thereafter. The tracks required runners to decide whether to run in either of the dug out tyre trenches or to run across the raised centre part which was perhaps flatter but often covered in grass. The tracks were not the only obstacle on this course. Race Director Smith had warned runners during the pre race brief of the many rabbit holes hidden under knee length grass on the tracks in the upper fields. I'm usually concerned about turned ankles so I took note. 

Within a few 'K' the tractor track gave way to a tarmac road. I was able to increase the pace, thankful for a bit of even ground. The route ran over the next obstacle, the railway track. Although the race brief included an assurance that the race had been planned mindful of the rail timetable, I was later to learn that Ben Hatherley's impressive performance included a wait at the barrier for a passing train! 

After the railway came more tractor tracks up a steady incline that carried on for about the next 3 or 4 K. It was often difficult to run on the uneven ground. I was passed on the climb by Paul Davidson of Grantham AC. Running cheerily passed he pointed in the direction of a distant telecommunications mast. "That's about the turn point" I was told "there's a steep descent at about that point". The mast seemed a long way away and for the first time I was able to get the race distance into perspective. I'd gone off fairly fast and was struggling with the incline and the uneven underfoot conditions. I had pressure from a runner behind. He was close enough for me to be able to hear his breath and yet the narrow uneven path meant he would have struggled to get passed. I either had to give way or increase the pace. I increased the pace at a time when I least felt like it. 

The telecommunications mast came and a few twist and turns later bought us to the top of the promised descent. I decide I would try and rekindle my fell running pedigree. I detached mind from body and catapulted myself down the steep tarmac path with arms held high a loft for balance. The technique worked as I managed to put distance between me and the chasing racer. The track evened out on to a road. It was a fairly straight road that was to continue all the way back towards the wood near the finish. I knew there were three Grantham runners in front. I looked ahead but couldn't see them. The nearest runner was too far ahead to catch and so it was a case of maintaining a pace so as not to be overtaken. Soon I was back in the wood just as the rain began to fall again. I exited the wood before the last half lap of the lake to the finish. I was glad to finish, it was a tougher course than I had expected and I think I had mentally shortened the distance in my mind. Stuart Sinclair had the best of the Grantham runners races to finish fourth in 43:31 after a dual between himself and the runner who placed third. Ben Hatherley continues to improve finishing 5th just over a minute later. Paul Davidson ran strong in 46:11 in ninth place ahead of me in 10th with a time of 46:56. Grantham running club dominated the ladies race with Catherine Payne winning in 49:53 and Helen Brown third in 51:26. A big club turnout prompted many other good performances. Full results here. 

After the race we milled about admiring our souvenirs. Finishers received either a coaster or a wallet emblazoned with the Toonies trade mark. The rain continued to fall as I walked to retrieve my bike from the back of Ben's van (thanks Ben). The van was also used as an impromptu changing shelter from the rain, allowing athletes to put on dry clothes ahead of a well deserved pint in the leisure park's bar. I cycled home at speed chasing the light and had to resort to pavements just before Grantham.   

       

         

Peakers Stroll 2012

Callum, Tristan, nephew Seanie and me.

Torch bearer

The night before the Peaker's Stroll I went to a club barbeque and exercised self discipline so as not to drink too much alcohol. The next day I was to run 25 miles across the hills of the dark peak, taking in Mam Tor, the Great Ridge to Loosehill, a steep ascent of Win Hill before a rugged descent to Ladybower Reservoir, a climb to the Roman road and on to Jaggers Clough, Edale youth hostel, Edale, Hollins Cross, Castleton and up the familiar but never less easy Cave Dale before a trott across the moor back to Peak Forest. I have run this event on perhaps five or six previous occasions. At the same club barbeque, Jez Page of Grantham AC was also abstaining from the festivities but in his case, he had a far more onerous event to contend with,  the outlaw iron man  early the next morning!

Sunday morning bought bright sunshine, unusual for this time of year? The sky really was clear and that, coupled with the warm tempertaures lulled me into a false sense of security. I decide to pack light. I looked forward to running in shorts and t-shirt. I questioned the worth of my rain jacket but packed it just in case. I left the leggins behind and was thankful that the lack of need to gather warm kit on such a fine day mean that we left the house early for the 1 hour 45 minute drive to the heart of the Peak District. Just after passing Kelham Hall at about 8.30am I was even more grateful that we had got away quickly. I would need the extra time because our progress between Newark and Mansfield was hammpered by a bevy of cyclists taking part in none other than the Outlaw Iron Man! I guessed this must have been the race that my club compatriot was doing and we tried to spot his name on the race numbers which were stuck to the back of the competitors vests. The cyclists turned South some miles short of Mansfield. I was later to learn that the cyclists were racing over 112 miles after already having completed a 2.4 mile swim and after dismounting their saddles they would go on to run a meer marathon of 26.2 miles. That event certainly put my 25 mile jaunt round the Peak District into perspective. 

The Peaker's Stroll

Final Instuctions

We arrived at Peak Forest withtime to spare. It was good to see my nephew at registration, he had decided to turn out and run the event too, acoompanied his friends, Tristan and Callum (all fifteen years of age). In adddition, I learnt that another nephew, a niece, my brother in law and some of their friends were already out on the course having decided to set of on the walkers start two hours earlier at 9.30am.  My nephew's lack of preparation reminded me of my own naivety at his age. He had turned out in a holister t-shirt and shorts with no waterproof clothing whatsoever. I meantime was also regretting not having bought more clothes. On the journey across to Peak Forest the cloud had closed in and it was now raining and noticeably more cold than when we had left Grantham two hours earlier. 

Just before 11.30am, accompanied by familar faces from the Peak District fell running community we were ushered out of Peak Forest village hall to the green opposite. Runners were given final instructions on their respective routes before a school playground type bell was rung to signal our release on to the great and beautiful peak national park. The Peakers Stroll has 25, 17 and 9 mile route options. You can walk either route leaving at 9.30am or run from the start at 11.30am. The event is organised by the cheerful and merry members of Tideswell Male voice choir, a choir held in high regard and whose choirists seem to share a similar enthusiasm for song as stroller's do for endurance running.

Leaving Peak Forest

I led the pack of runners out of Peak Forest safe in route knowledge from previous years before being overtaken on the first ascent out of the village. At least five runners past and extended a lead to the first checkpoint. I noticed that I laboured a bit more than usual up the ascent of Mam Tor. I was concerned that I had neglected hill work in favour of the flat Lincolnshire landscape and I resolved to try and get back to the peak's for a bit more hill training ahead of the Bullock Smithy in September. I ran strong across the Great Ridge to Loose hill. I made an effort to appreciate the views. The wide and wild expanse of Kinder Scout stretched out to my left and the the picture postcard view off the hope valley provided a panoramic spectacle to my right. Steve Temple caught up with me on the Great Ridge and we ran more or less together to the summit of Loosehill. 

Familiarity Breads Contempt

As was aptly demonstrated on our descent towards Hope. We have both run this event on several occasions and I happily ran off the hill following the two runners in front that I had managed to catch in the two preceeding miles. Steve caught up halfway down the hill, "I think we are on the wrong track" he said. It looked familar to me but as we approached the next fence the runners in front stopped, turned around, looked at us and questioned "is this right?" It wasn't. Steve was right, we had taken the wrong path off Loosehill and we had to take a minor contour around the hill to pick up the correct route. 

At the checkpoint near Hope I filled my water bottle with water and an electrolyte tablet. I knew the climb up to Win Hill was hard and I wanted as much energy support as I could muster. Steve ran on as I sacrificed time for replenishment of reserves. Tracy was at the checkpoint and I was pleased to learn that I had almost caught up with my niece and nephew who had started on the walkers start at 9.30am. They were further up the ascent of Win Hill and I heard that they were trying to beat me to the summit. The rain continued to fall although I wasn't cold. The conditions were really ideal for a running, warmish with a mist of rain in the air that occasionally got stronger. 

Trig point at the top of Win Hill

I ran out of the checkpoint in pursuit of Steve and my extended family. I managed to catch Steve on the tarmac track which later gives way to a steep grass field before a rocky path leads to the castle of rocks at the summit. I pushed on to 'high five' my niece, Erin just before the rocky path and offer words of encouragement to my ten year old nephew, Conor who I met shortly afterwards. I felt strong and had a good stage to the summit. No time to waste enjoying the expansive views across Ladybower and through the Edale valley for I had to contend with a bounce through a moor of heather gorse before descending through the wood towards Ladybower reservoir.

That Wood

The wood usually poses a navigational difficulty. The wood contains many paths all of which seem to lead in different but somehow the correct direction. When I am sufficently confident that I have lost the offical route (which always happens) I simply head downwards safe in the knowledge that I will hit the track at the bottom. It is to be hoped that when you get to the track you are sufficiently close enough to the check point to see it. If not, you have to guess whether it is better to go right or left to pick it up. This year, as usual, I came out on to the track at a different place but thankfully I could see the checkpoint. I declined the offer of a chesse sandwich and ran on, still feeling strong round the flank of Ladybower reservoir to the next checkpoint, perhaps some three miles further on. I like this stretch. The reservoirs permiter track conatins loose gravel but is easy to run along. i knew I could make my recent road training count on this section. I hoped to catch up with some runners in front but they too must have been running well as the only person I encountered was Steve and he was running the other way! Despite his course experience he too made a uncharateristic navigational error or perhaps his error was following me through the heather gorse. Steve had been unable to locate the stile into the wood and instead decided to plummet himself into the wood and adopt the well tested checkpoint finding technique of "descend through the extensive wood and reassess when you get to the track". Sadly Steve's descent had discharged him some yards short and he was retracking back along to check in. 

Choir singer meets endurance runner in crime hit car park

After the next check point I took a straight line through the trees. I was over half way by now and the steep ascent took it out of me. I was glad to get to the top and run on through the stream at Jagger's Clough and along the lower side of Kinder towards Edale Youth Hostel. On the way to the youth hostel the rain got much stronger, I was running in shorts and t-shirt and I got flash backs to the LDWA 100 which had taken place in similar conditons a few weeks earlier. I stopped at the YH and put on my perspex pertex rain jacket. 

I was glad to get to the car park at Edale train station, a quick drink and I was off on the penultimate leg which involves an ascent of Hollins Cross, directly over the Great Ridge which we had run across earlier and down to the village of Castleton. After leaving Edale I could see to the top of Hollins Cross but I couldn't identify any runners to catch. I knew I was fourth runner and I felt like I had strength to pass any runners in front that might be tiring. I ran, power walked, walked and ran up Hollins Cross and then descended steadily before a strong run into the village, still no sign of those in front. I checked in and again sacrificed a bit of time for fuel before heading off on the monotomous slog up Cave Dale towards the finish. The jacket had come off now although the rain still hung in the air. I passed some of the 17 mile entrants on the way up Cave Dale and exchanged pleasentaries with Anne and Vaughan Wade who had successfully completed the same 100 which had resulted in my DNF. I picked up the pace at the top of Cave Dale and headed out on to the open moor at the summit. I still couldn't see any compatriots in front and I dare not look behind. I knew Steve was running well and although I hadn't seen him since Ladybower, I knew he wouldn't be far behind. I negotiated a heard of cows that were protecting a gate, hopped the stile and ran down the final track to the field which leads through to the village edge and on to the village hall. I finished in 3 hours and 57 minutes. I felt my energy reserves deplete during the final couple of miles and was grateful to find a seat next to the cake tables. The mini scones with jam and cream went down a treat. I ate two before ordering asparagus soup, more cake and two cups of tea. Steve arrived just minutes behind ruing his woodland jaunt. 

Erin, Conor, me and their Dad - a fine achievement!

After basking in tea, cakes and personal satisfaction we went back out on the course to encourage the children through the final stages. Callum was first back followed by Sean and Tristan in 6 hours 15 minutes. Conor, Erin and their Dad followed some hours later but all made if safely round a tough route to acccomlish a great achievement given their respective ages.

We travelled back to Grantham in the evening and during the journey we learnt that Jez Page had successfully completed his ironman in a sub 13 hour time. Nice one Jez!  

          

                 
A few more pics here.