Running long (Fell) 1:05:43 [5]
Weasdale Horseshoe Fell Race.
I hadn't entered the Pendle Three Peaks English Champs race but a month ago I thought I'd be able to compete but saw that it was 'sold out' and had 85 people on the waiting list. So I'd given up on going.
I'd done Weasdale when it was a Champs race so knew it would give me a good chance to stretch my legs on runnable descents. My current aim being to get some leg-speed back.
Driving to the event made me wonder if it would go ahead due to heavy rain and strong winds. I warmed-up in a soft-shell Goretex jacket!
George Foster turned up a couple of minutes before the start so I guess he hadn't had much time to prepare. That said I think I'd done 800m of warm-up myself due to time constraints.
The start goes down a slight hill across the field and then makes it's way down to a tunnel under the main road. I let the slope do the work and started with some good speed. As we gradually made our way up a large sodden field and crossed a few hundred metres of marsh and reeds I knew there were a couple of guys just behind me. I was going at a reasonably quick pace but not pushing hard.
Once up onto the road to the farm I lengthened my stride and went down the slight hill quickly to try to get a gap. One guy kept up and was right on my shoulder as we started climbing onto the fell into a strong headwind.
Once away from the drystone walls I realised it was George with me.
I didn't quite remember how to get onto the path/trod that the race uses and asked him if he knew where we were going. When he said no I replied "Oh good". I meant it sarcastically, as in, that makes two of us. Afterwards George said he only heard me say good and didn't catch the tone... it was very windy!
He tucked in behind me and we started a bit of power walking across the lumpy steep grass. Once onto the path it was bloody hard work running into the wind. After a couple of minutes George nipped past.
I was immediately finding it easier and the next 5 minutes felt like jogging rather than racing. The shelter was great. I was worried that other guys might catch us a bit but decided to bide my time.
When we got towards the first high point we ran out of trod and our paths diverged slightly. Maintaining the speed across the ground took significantly more effort and I felt a bit guilty for letting George do all the work so I didn't begrudge him tucking in behind me for a couple of minutes.
The rain was whipping in painfully from the SW as we ran S, almost tripping me over a couple of times with sneaky tap-tackles (pretty sure this wasn't George). I'd made the pragmatic but uncool decision to wear a visor over a buff.
Great decision!
I could actually see where to put my feet on the descent towards Randygill Top and gapped George by about 15m. He had caught me near the top of the severe short climb but I convinced myself that he had had to go into the red to do so. As we rounded Check Point 1 I surged a little and went hard on the short descent. As it flattened-out and made a short climb to CP2 I kept up the effort level and had a 50m gap at least.
The long descent back was wet but not too slippery and treacherous. I went hard and built a bit more of a lead over a kilometre but then it stabilised at about 300m.
I missed the short-cut to the road but low cloud had made me nervous about having gone wrong so I just stayed on the track and paid the price of running two sides of a triangle over rocky flooded track. George was just following me anyway and I think we had enough of a lead that no-one was going to sneak past on the 'right' line.
I wasn't feeling particularly fatigued on the long run for home but my speed wasn't great. I maintained the gap and finished about 30 seconds clear.
We then had a glass of Prosecco to celebrate a racing couple's wedding day and waited around in the just-about-not-blowing-away marquee for the prize-giving.
I got a £30 voucher for King Kong's shop which was a reasonable return on an £8 entry.
In the Champs race I'd run 62:37 but it was dry and not very windy, if I recall correctly. Three minutes slower in those conditions was ok. George and I were climbing strongly and I was really happy with my descending speed and general ability to run with some aggression, an ingredient that is hard to get into my racing when I know I'm not in good form.