Running Activity 8.05 km | RunKeeper

Running Activity 8.05 km | RunKeeper

My latest training run - a hot one and I'm sooooo unfit it going to take some dedication to get back.

And now for a bit of Nostalgia!

10th July and the Bollington Nostagia Race that is! I've been doing this race every year since it started ( 7 years) and it's always a great event, well marshalled and well attended. A real mixture of road and fell and tracks and trail so knowing which shoes to wear is always a bit of a nightmare. Well here I am at the start (the good looking bloke in the GVS vest on the right - no not Tony Hulme who I always get mistaken for - as if!!).



The first section is a road climb through the village, across a mini roundabout turning right and then another long road climb. Once this is out of the way we drop down a side lane to some fields before taking a raking traverse and climbing up the fields and along the edge of the wood. Hot, sultry and flippin' flies a buzzing everywhere - lovely. (That's an Andy P photo - thanks).


Not long after this point the track turns, flattens, dips to a road crossing and then climbs again. What a tinker!
I was doing battle with Paul from Wilmslow Running Club who is a bit younger than me and was ahead on the climbs. Then I saw my chance, a flat section followed by a downward trending stony trail. In an audacious move I'm past Paul then CRASH as I do a swan dive to the floor. "Are you OK?" was the shout. Blood everywhere (knees, thigh, forearms) I shouted back "It's only a graze" - Ouch!
Still we are fell runners and we fear no pain. Pressing on I managed to grab a sponge from one of the water stations and effected some running repairs. Once I hit the canal towpath I knew it was just a matter of digging in and holding my lead over Paul (yes I had passed him again!) before the final climb to the top road above Bollington All was going well until the familiar figure of Julian passed me on the uphill. Bugger, and Paul was right behind too! Well switch into road racing mode and the over ever trending 1 mile downhill road stretch I managed to eke out a 20 second advantage but never could never quite catch Julian. The final few yards descend really steeply down a cobbled street before the final turn under the finishing banner. 29th finisher out of 118 starters, 52mins 20secs, bloodied but unbowed. Mind you there were some choice comments at the end!

A Waltz, A Pudding and then A Wake?

Wednesday 29th June and we're all meeting up in Hope for the annual Wakes fell race. These races are attached to the well dressing calendar and over the course of the week there are various village events culminating with a fete, bar-b-que, etc. 

A massive 262 runners lined up this year for what is a tough and challenging course. From the off it's fast paced, cutting across fields and dropping into the lane before heading off for the first climb over the shoulder of Hope Brink. This is a real tester and I soon found myself struggling a bit. Still got to keep pressing on. Once over the crest the path drops down towards the reservoir in a series of twists and turns with the odd uphill bit thrown in. It's not until you're right down nearly at the shores of Ladybower that you turn sharp right and the long toil begins all the way to the summit of Win Hill. Man this is one hell of a slog. But I really like it. Sweating like a (insert your own image here!) I finally gained the Trig point on the summit. No time to admire the view though (and it is great from here looking over the Hope Valley or back towards Kinder) as the downhill charge begins straight away. So on jelly legs I was off like a startled rabbit. Pumping thighs were the order of the day down to Twitchill Farm and then the long run down the drive back to Hope. Fading fast towards the end I had just enough in me for a final flourish over the finish line. Phew! 54mins and 56 secs. Free orange juice and flapjack to finish off a great evening.

After a Waltz comes a Pudding

The next day following on from the Waltz I drove over to Bakewell to take part in one of the "nicest" races in the fell running calendar, The Bakewell Pudding Race. (I'm in there somewhere!!)


This scenic tour of the hills around Bakewell starts and finishes on the recreation ground and it's always a hot day. Sunday 26th June was no exception. The 115 starters were soon off haring around the perimeter of the field before exiting via footpaths onto the lane and the first climb  past the golf course and into the woods. A tough singletrack with little chance of passing until it opens out to a wider trail still climbing. Plateauing out as we emerged from the trees it was then a swift run / decent across glorious fiels with the town spread out below. I'd run this course a couple of times in the pas so knew what was coming, another wooded climb, this time a wide track but a longer ascent. Thankfully the trees provided some cooling shade but once over the top we emerged again into searing heat as we chased down narrow tracks and lanes that seemed to go on forever. Soon though there were just a few stiles and the road before the river crossing and back on to the park. A chasing finish saw a time of 49.56, slower than last year but satisfying nevertheless.

Catching Up with a Waltz

It's been a bit of an up and down time (excuse the pun) since my last post. I've had real trouble with a couple of teeth and they're only just getting fixed now. Plus it's been full on at work and I've had a really bad cold so all in all my fitness is shot to pieces and it's going to be some painful rebuilding starting this weekend.
But in retrospect here's a round up of the last few outings.....

Whaley Waltz. Always brilliant fun and a carnival atmosphere to boot. A great turnout from GVS and with the water splash at the end there's something for everyone. It was a good run again this year, 176 entries and pretty good underfoot. The climb up to Windgather was a real sod as usual but I mainly held it together just running out of steam a bit on the final section. Swooping down from the summit and across the ridge is always great and I even managed to pull a few places back this year. On the fginal run in I was just being pipped by Julian who too a slightly wrong turn (blaming the marshal!) so I got the jump on him at the river and finished in a respectable time of 47mins 26secs. Check this out.... 

Need I say more!!