Fell-Running ("You're All Crazy!, Insane!, Mad!, etc, etc.......")

[Bush Tucker Man]

As a few of you know, I do a 'bit of running' to supplement the cycling (there's been some weeks when I've run 40 miles, including 25+ cross-country)

I had a go at a fell-run yesterday, & boy was it hard!

It was the 'Stanbury Splash'
It's 7 miles, & 1200 feet of climbing, which is roughly equivilant to ascending Honister Pass, in Borrowdale :shock:

I was looking at it on the Fell Runners Association forum on Saturday, I know the area, & was on day-off on Sunday
http://forum.fellrunner.org.uk/showthread.php?t=10264

http://woodentops.org.uk/index.php?topic=stanbury



I did wonder how much the vertical difference from the 'Cyclists verses Harriers' (that's listed at 6 miles & 650 feet. Running PB = 48:12) will make (or indeed the 'Bingley Show Trail-Race', at 3 miles & 450feet, I believe. PB = 20:10) to my capability to run this race??, so long as I go at my own pace?

I would, however, have liked to have beaten (circa) 52:00 minutes though, making allowances for the ascents, & the 5 stream crossings :doh:




I drove over to Haworth, all the while looking at all of the snow at the road-sides & in the lee of the stone-walls :|
It was bl**dy cold up there, & trying to sleet whilst signing on took place.

The start was a chaotic affair, with the field charging off like they were running for a bus (ie; going like [!Expletive Deleted!]!)
I, as usual, lost places immediately - but felt that it was probably easier to drift back, than fight through the back-markers :-k

The descent to the first stream crossing made the vertiginous start of the 'Cyclists verses Harriers' look a bit tame eyeye
This one was the type of slope that the Sheep walk down holding onto each other!, & as for the ascent!, I've seen loft-ladders that don't go up as steeply! 8-[

Once on the level (or what passes for level ground out there) it was a nice run, if a bit boggy in places.
We were running knee-deep in the softest areas of peat at times, with no firm ground for yards!

There was even stretches where some were running through snow - if they took a different line, & it even started snowing at the furthest/most exposed/highest points of the course sign_help

Still, eventually the finish came into sight - from a distance at first (2 miles!), but it arrived, & it was all over with.

Did I enjoy it :-k
I'm not sure, it certainly felt like masochism being out there, but I guess it's charactor building if nothing else :lol:

Put it this way................ I doubt if there was enough straight-jackets in the county for all of us lunatics yesterday morning :-#


Sadly the 'aimed for' 52:00 minutes didn't happen, due mainly to the aforementioned 'staircases'.
I did finish in a semi-respectable time of 1.03:09, which gave me a placing of 154th/298 (Vet40 = 75th/112)

http://woodentops.org.uk/assets/results/10stanbury.pdf


'You Tube' clip of 2009 event.
Seniors event starts @ 2:05

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zJTAXfy7dAM&feature=related#



There's a few pics on line now from the event, & more to follow later

1. Alongside the rest of the 'Care in The Community' bunch on day-release :lol:, I'm sure you can all spot me! (CLUE; look at the 'jersey' avatar in my signature block)



2. Going up one of the god-awful slopes


3. Returning I'm not actually in these shots, I know roughly where I'll be but the photographer admits there's gaps.
We actually ran from the furthest point in the 'top-left of shot' on the return leg!



I'm still a bit annoyed by my time, especially when I can run a 10K (an accurately measured - to literally yards - 6.2 miles) on the road in 44:16, & the 7 miles of this race took me 1.03:09

It just shows how the terrain makes a difference! (& not knowing the course)





Here's some more photos, I'm not in any of them, but here's one that shows you how steep one of the descents/ascents was sh0ck
Number 96 is Robin Bradbury, one of the Cyclo-Cross riders I know who ran, he finished in 52:24 (41st/298)

[Mutz]

Sorry, but why run it when youve got a 4x4?

You must be barking. :-#

Well done for completing it, i would have given up by the time i left the car.

[Bush Tucker Man]

Sorry, but why run it when youve got a 4x4?

You'd not get one up some of those slopes! - probably not even a fully rigged-up 'Challenge' 90
The 'winch-bitch' would get fed of crawling up the slopes for a start :lol:

You must be barking. :-#

It has been suggested elsewhere; on another Landie forum, a couple of cycling forums that I use, & most forcefully of all at work by my collegues :roll:

Well done for completing it, i would have given up by the time i left the car.

Thanks, it's undoubtedly one of the hardest races I've done :-k


This is a film of Sundays 'Mass Escape Of The Lunatics'
(Senior event footage starts @ 1:00)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQVN7SY4cgY


Oh, & as for the distance/elevation I quoted; 7 miles race distance & 1200 feet height-gain
A good comparison for northern members is the Emley Moor TV transmitter mast in West Yorkshire - that's 1,080 feet high!

[V8MoneyPit]

Rather you than me my friend!

The son of my colleague at work has done a little hill running in the past. He's more of a track athlete and ranks very high in the country in his age group. IIRC, his 'off-road' runs were in Cumbria. Can't remember the events though.

[Saffy]

one of the few sports you can't tell difference between men and women  :lol:

[william127]

me and phil c were winter walking/camping in the glyders, in wales at hte weekend, 2500feet up, crampons on, ice axes in hands when 2 blokes in lycra trousers ran past us, completley mental! saw them a few hours later in a car park, they looked fairly cold, and a bit cream crackered!

[Bush Tucker Man]

Following on from my, erm....................., sucess* at the 'Stanbury Splash' (as detailed above) , I 'vefound myself another little jaunt :doh:

The Ilkley Harriers organised 'Ilkley Moor Fell-Race'

http://www.ilkleyharriers.org.uk/imr/imrindex.html

As it states, it's a 'Catagory A' race, & thus not suitable for beginners.
Therefore an e-mail to the club has been sent to see if I'm deemed suitably idiotic :-k (sorry, I mean my previous experience is sufficient)

This one's listed at 5 miles & 1260feet climbing ('Splash' was 7 miles & 1200feet)

The Fell Runners Association says this about distances/elevations;
http://www.fellrunner.org.uk/index.htm



DEFINITION ONE : “OFFICIAL FRA FELL RACE”

An “official FRA fell race” is one held under FRA Rules for competition and UKA Rules for competition in so far as they concern fell-running.

DEFINITION TWO : RACE CATEGORIES
A fell race is one run on fell, hill or mountain terrain and shall be categorised as follows :
Category “A”
a) Should average not less than 250' (76m) climb/mile (1.6k).
b) Should not have more than 20% of the race distance on road.
c) Should be at least one mile (1.6k) in length.

Category “B”
a) Should average not less than 125' (38m) climb/mile (1.6k).
b) Should not have more than 30% of the race distance on road.

Category “C”
a) Should average not less than 100' (30.4m) climb/mile (1.6k).
b) Should not have more than 40% of the race distance on road.
c) Should contain some genuine fell terrain.

DEFINITION THREE : RACE LENGTH CATEGORIES
a) category “L” (long) race is twelve miles (19.3k) or over.
b) category “M” (medium) race is six miles (9.6k) and over but under twelve (19.3k).
c) category “S" (short) race is under six miles (9.6k).


'As an aside', my previous 'Cyclists verses Harriers' events would list as 'CM'


Look how far they are from the valley (Wharfedale) bottom.
For the information of Yorkshire members, the race starts by the 'White Wells Hotel'







*Sorry, I really meant to say 'my grim battle for survival' :boohoo: