Cressbrook, Crowden, Burbage and Mount Famine

It's been a while since I last wrote my blog and there have been quite a few races, some good, some so so, but all worth the effort. Kicking off was the Cressbrook Crawl. I arrived early to grab a parking spot on the road rather than in the field at the bottom of the village. One climb up that hill was going to be enough. As usual there was a great atmosphere and easy changing in the club but the weather was against us this year. It was dreary and rain was threatening. A massed start on the road soon had us heading up the lane before turning sharply left onto tracks and a fast descent to the valley floor. Next came the big climb out. I was feeling OK and managing to hold my place against familiar faces. Once over the top the course descends again along great tracks and paths that allows for some pacey running. Feeling good-ish I pushed on and scampered through the woods and then set about falling into my rhythm along the river and the disused railway. The cool, damp air was perhaps a little too cool for me but there was the big climb to come. Hitting the road for a final time I set about tackling the "grind" back up to the club. Managed to catch a fellow runner and was only passed by one so finished in some style. 54.13, a tad outside a PB but pleasing all the same. Onto the Crowden Horseshoe tomorrow.
Back to back races are tough but can be a great way to gain some fitness and race pace just so long as you don't go looking for great times. The Horseshoe proved thus. I really toiled over the first section, first over Laddow Rocks and then up to Black Hill, but the views were spectacular. This is a great race, a real feeling of wilderness. At the Trig point we turned and started to head for home. Here I found my second wind and began the chase to claw back some of the time lost on the climbs. It's great running through the groughs, a labyrinth of pathways luckily all marked with red flags as you lose sight of the runners ahead. The long grind over the moors into the teeth of the wind were strength sapping, thankfully underfoot conditions were a dry as you can often be in ankle sucking moss making it twice as exhausting. The final bone jarring descent back to Crowden  is a bit heart in the mouth as you desperately want to finish in a good time but your legs are tired and you don't want to fall here. 1 hour 19mins just doesn't tell the whole story. Burbage next.
The Burbage Skyline is a classic and it seems to get more popular each year as it's one of the first mid week races in the Peak. This year there was a record entry of 353 runners that led to a frantic start with much pushing and jostling up the short track and then bodies flying everywhere as you plunge downhill to the stream crossing. Organised chaos really. Once over the stream there follows a short climb and then some contour running this year through calf high heather which took a little more out of the legs. The first climb over Mothercap always sorts a few out and then you gather your breath for the stride across the plateau to Higgar Tor. Again a steep ascent, hands on rocks towards the top before a fast descent to the woods and the stream below. Again conditions were much drier than in previous years making the ascent back up to the bridge at the head of the valley somewhat more straightforward. Crossing the stream for a third and final time the course continues to climb to the crest of the skyline. The track here is good and you can often make up some time and places if you're nimble on your feet. Climbing all done there is a single track path through the heather and some rocks parts back to the main valley path. This is a wide track and brings out the road runner in me. Bombing down here it's possible to make up quite a few places before the welcoming relief of the finishing line. Phew, another one done in a shade over 50 minutes. Nice .
OK so another weekend and a surprise in store. I gained an entry into the Manchester 10K under a pseudonym but more of that later there was the matter of Mount Famine and the Dragons Back first.
This is another of the Peak classics. A unique start straight up a wooded bank (I do mean straight up, no paths, find you own route) to the ridge. Lungs bursting at the top you need to kick into a jog / run along the path before a fast plunge down through the woods. At the bottom you turn 180 degrees and climb all the way back up again. Cruel but it gets worse. Over the lumps and bumps of the Dragons Back, climbing, climbing all the time and then a short downhill burst before the next climb up South Head (nee Dread). Topping out only to see stretching out ahead a long and fast descent to the bottom of Dimple Clough. All that height gained only to see it all to do again. On the climb out of Dimple I knew I was struggling, well let's be honest I was going backwards, you know what I mean! Finally back on the ridge after what seemed like an age of leg knackering climbing (the force wasn't flowing for me at this point I can tell you) it started to rain. Great. Still I found a bit more energy from somewhere so I tried my hardest to claw back lost minutes. By the time I reached the final descent I was feeling much better. The long run in through the woods was great and the final canter along the road before turning into the recreation ground went well and I even managed a short burst to the line. 58.44. Not my best but not my worst and enjoyable nevertheless.