British Fell Relays, Llanberis

British Fell Relays, Staffordshire Moorlands.  20th October 2013.

I never expected this to be in my running calendar, but I got invited to join Staffordshire Moorlands Athletic Club, I accepted. As I feel am a Moorlander at heart and because of the runners that they have had or have currently got. Am hoping to pick up on some advice to improve my running.  The likes of William Neill (GB U23), and Simon Bailey (British Fell Champion) have ran for the club and Tracy Dean (GB), Jack Ross, Gareth Briggs, Jason Burgess (UK mudrunner champion) and Robin Hope all run for the club.

I also wanted to get to know more runners in the area, so I saw this as an opportunity. Due to my success in the summer series, I was asked to run for the club for the Fell Relay in Llanberis, as part of the British Fell Relays. All the best runners from around the UK would be here, it’s an excellent opportunity.

I was running in the mixed/open category for the club, and paired up with Jason Burgess to run a 9 mile course, in Llanberis.  This was obviously a problem for me as I wasn’t as quick as Jason but am also not used to this kind ascent and descent in a fast paced race. With over 1000 metres I was a bit worried.  I had my work cut out.  I also had a problem with my right knee, tendonitis. So I wasn’t looking forward to it.  My brother was also runner with the V40 men team, with Robin, Jon, Craig, Dave and Gareth. This gave me some comfort and some assurance, as I would have his experience and support.  He had recently joined the club too, just after me.

After a night out, race day was upon us, as was the rain. And it didn’t stop all day. This made for interesting running but also very tough conditions. And me and Jason just happened to be doing the longest route…

After Kerry’s brilliant opening leg of the 5mile route around quarry she looked fresh and ready to put us in a good position I thought and she did.  After 45 minutes we touched hands and we were ready to go.

And this was my story of Leg two:

Wet, damp, cold, nervous, but eager to please my aim was to run with one foot in front of the other at a fast pace and repeat over and over again. Do this and I might just get round.  Rain, hitting face, sheltered in the valley so far, feared the worse on top.  Slight climb over into Coed Mawr, shouts of “get past them Dave, I follow” passed a few people, road, step road, pace slows try to keep up with Jason. “come on Dave” and tired response of “okay” after 1 mile in. This wasn’t good. Pick myself up and tried to stick to Jason, he knew it was going to be slow with me, after this point.  Uphill, lose my footing and slip a little. Hold my balance by some kind of hidden dance move. Through mud and over limestone, running through self made streams. Leap over many puddles.  Past the palm trees, descend and try to stick with Jason.  “that’s it Dave keep going, we can get them on the ascent” My thoughts to this. You have to be joking am knackered already.  He wasn’t…

As we approached Moel Cynghorion (700ft), I was knackered, Jason still fresh and hungry. Went like a bullet from a barrel, he shot up the Mountain in double fast speed. Now I know why he does so well in races and I don’t.  I must improve my hill climbing.  It was amazing to watch as I continue to struggle to move my legs and breathe.  I take on gels and water, in a effort to get back into it. This was lost and so was all my hard work.  Like a trail of ants the leg two runners climbed with my struggling and lagging behind.  Many Pass…

Wet, cold, windy, exhausted, lost sight of Jason. Push on, try to get into a better mind set, push on, try harder, try harder to no avail. Break down, this was this first time I lost my heart in a race. I was losing the will to carry on, but I must keep going to catch Jason and for club.  Push on, fight against the wall and the vertical climb that almost pushes you back over due to its steepness. Minutes pass, the clock times, the pressure builds, break down again.  Rebuild one foot in front of the other.  Reach the top to meet my running partner, shouting “come on Dave” I try to push but I tired. My legs ache and I am tired. Must carry on, not for the race for survival. Horizontal rain and 70mph winds hit my face, the coldness burns and the rain stings. 

Run as fast as possible, descend, start the roller coaster of the leg two, up, down up down, aim for checkpoint 3 on Foel Coch. Really tired, my words are “Sorry Jason”, I am Sorry”. Response “its for the fun, It’s a laugh come on”.  Down, Up, dehydrated, Foel Gron, climb the staircase, roll down the hills. Last climb, could of pushed hard, misjudged the race, reach Moel Eilio (best sounding Welsh name), should be a song title.  A cry of relief and the a roar of “Lets F**King do this from my heart.  Through the gate, run, run fast, this is what I can do. Need to catch the other runners, make up the places. A new sense of confidence was found.

Run, stride, lean forward, use the wind, watch the footing, find the line. Aim for the person in front. Pass, continue, one, push, push hard.  Feel cramp, push on, push on for the club, catch them. Pass, bog, avoid, smile for the camera, follow Jason, pass them. Reach disused Querry, Over Stile, through field, out of wind, survived. Relieved to be here, am the lucky one. Run, twist, watch the rocks, to the left, to the right, twist. Watch the bog, Jason landed in, run fast for the team, road, hand over to the navigation leg with Jo and Ian. Wait.

Jason Burgess (SMAC)

Get warm, drink tea, eat cake, get changed wait some more, social, wait.  The leg 3 story is not mine to tell, though the sunshine did break through for the last leg when Mark went out.

My vow after the race, never to run a race of importance half injured or with out the right training.  Confidence and experienced gained for next year though. Great to see so many talented runners. Dont carry too much stuff. 

My brother also did this leg with Gareth Briggs, and he had the same experience, wet, cold and hard. Though he was slightly tired from Limone from the Sky Running championship a few weeks before, but still ran well. 

Finishing time for leg two for me and Jason (1hr 39minutes) 21 minutes behind the first pair, position 67 out of 180.

Gareth and Ant, on leg two, (1hr 32minutes) in 37^th.

Overall finishing time 5hr and 45 minutes, in 58^th place. The team was Kerry, Me, Jason, Ian, Jo and Mark.

My Brother and Gareth’s team finished 7 in their category with an overall time of 4hr and 56minutes. The team was Robin, Gareth, Ant, Jon, Craig, and Dave Neill.

Both Staff Moorlands Teams

High Peak 40

So it’s been a year and a day since completing the Long Mynd Hike, a 50 mile race that covers the Shropshire and Welsh borders.  To this day, I wonder how I completed the hike. I do have my theories but wont go into them now.  However it is the only ultra race I have done and finished thinking I could do an extra mile or two here. I still had energy left in the tank to continue a few more miles. Even Helen Skelton told me at the finish that I looked fresh.  Never has this happened again…

So you can probably tell that the high peak 40 become a bit more a challenge than I expected.

I set off to fast, but I thought it was a comfortable pace at the time, I was wrong.  Preparations for the race didn’t really go so well either, having only done the first 15 mile in a recce. I was also struggling with my knee in my previous race (ipstones five) and I hadn’t ran before since then. So with five miles in the bag and some hill reps it wasn’t the idea start to a 40mile hike that include Man Tor, The Lords seat and the tricky work at Cave Dale.  My confidence was blown out of the water before the ship had even set sail.

I went ahead anyway, as my aim for the year was to compete in the run further series.  I felt pretty good hitting the first couple of checkpoints. I even felt good running down some of the downhill’s, I remember thinking that I could be in for a good race as I descended from the Lords Seat, passing about 5 or 6 runners. 

Once the down hill came around into Castleton (Hollins Cross) I hit a stone and lost my balance and rapidly adapted my footing in order not to fall. I managed to avoid the couple walking the hill, I think they were just as confused about me as I was to their movements or dance on the hill. This did hurt my knee due to jarring. It continued to hurt, but I thought I could run it off. Lucky I had the company of Peter who I meet in Bradwell to keep me going, as well as Liz Reeves who was having a good race in the ladies.  They managed to keep me going. I did think about stopping and handing in the towel more than I ever have before. Especially when my jelly babies jumped for freedom on cave dale.

Though I decided to keep going, I thought I’ve done this before in the Long Tour, I do it again. And that is what I continued to do keep going, at a slow pace.

I couldn’t keep up with Peter and Liz and wished them luck and said I may see them at the end. I later saw Lisa and Janson Heath, Lisa was doing her first ultra, and was running well. She passed me just outside Tideswell.  I wished her luck and told her to push on.

Again this is what I did, bit by bit, foot by foot, a left and then a right, a tree and a view to see me through. Then I hit the road, this destroyed me and I lost all energy and time as I had trail shoes on rather than a road shoe. This would of being a better option… Too late now!

I managed another left and right. Steps turned to a walk and then a jog and then a run and then I repeated. Better to finish late than not at all…Maybe in the short term not in the long term. Injury’s are hard to shake off after the half way point… and they stay with you for the weeks after.

I was later cheered by Pete, Tracy, and Liz as I got to the finish. I was pleased to see them. I later saw Lisa and Janson too.

I managed to finish with a time of 8hrs 10minutes in 58th. I found out that Tracy had won the ladies race. Well Done Tracy.

Much fun was had afterwards, looking for a car key that I dropped on route, lucky it was at a checkpoint and it was pickup by a marshal. Thank you marshals, you saved my bacon! And also aided me getting back home and also provided much entertainment for me, Jon and Tracy. Thankyou all volunteers and marshals for an enjoyable race.

Me as Pie Protector 

Tracy and Jon, post race. Well Done to Tracy for Winning the Ladies race

in 6hrs and 21minutes

Ipstones Five Road Race

7^th September

So it was the day of my hometown race even though it’s a village. I decided to enter the race because of this.  I wasn’t really in the right frame of mind as I was suffering from an on going pain in my groin, due to an IT band problem. It was also a road race…Not my strength, a fast pace road race at that. I still decided to do it, and I later found out that a few friends from the village were also running, Craig Barks and Carl Barks, they were having the best brother wins race.  I also saw Andrew Sayers, Janson Heath, Lisa Heath, Dean Windsor and Dale Colglough.  All of which I got to know through the summer series.

Ipstones Edge, me and Dean

The race started with a 1 mile ascent to Ipstones edge at this point I felt good, but as soon as I started to descend my leg started to hurt and I thought my race was over.  I still continued to run trying to push myself with out over doing it.  Towards the bottom of Sharpcliff there was a small dog that provide some entertainment for me and Dean. This seemed to stretch my legs a bit more as I thought it was going to bite me. I continue to go steady over the flat parts and tried to work on the ascents. I know the roads well as I have ran around the Basford lanes for some time.  This helped my mental state and I continued to push on the hills and the flats. Not as fast as I would of liked but am happy with the speed I went.

I managed to finish 11^th with a time of 31minutes and 42 seconds and I was the first Ipstones person back, so I won a some quinness , happy days.  Andrew managed to bet me  (6^th with 30:45) and I managed to hold of Dean who was biting at my ankles all the way round the course. Good race Dean.  Dean finished 13^th 31:50.

Craig beat Carl in the battle of brother with a great time of 38:12 finishing 73^rd.

photos from Bryan Dale