I had thought long and hard about doing the long tour but with a holiday beckoning and so many marathons ultras and other running in my legs this year, Nikki insisted that I only do the "short or half version" .
The weather was very kind, it was cool and overcast with the odd spot of rain, a very very different picture to the last time I ran out here at the dig deep where the weather nearly killed me.
Again utilising the camper we set off on Friday evening to the Peak District finding a campsite about 4 miles from the start. I opted to take the car as well to allow for driving to the start of the race.
I woke feeling good to go and made my way to the Bradwell community sports hall which was to be the start and finish of the race. I was there in plenty of time to watch the long tour runners start off on their race. They started at 9am giving them a 30 minute head start on us guys. The route they were to take was pretty much the same as ours but consisted on two additional loops, one short one and one longer one which would take them out to Stanage edge.
The race itself was billed as a partially marked affair and was run using dibblers and each runner provided with minimal instructions and a map. The race started off on an uphill climb and along a track behind the well known cement works. Following this we turned and ran alongside and up a steep hill past a quarry before joining the limestone way. This then became a fantastic decent in to Castleton past a wonderful looking ruined castle. The descent down the hill was tricky limestone and rather slippery when wet which today it was, but my Salaomon trail shoes held firm and gave me plenty of confidence.
Out the other side of Castleton we headed for a very steep climb which would eventually see us at the top of "lose hill" following this long climb I was spoilt for choice on such wonderful panoramic views from the "wards pier viewpoint"
At this point I began getting caught by some of the long tour runners, and watching the first few come past was quite a sight. They had probably done a little over 6 miles more than me at this point but had also started half hour early so it was inevitable the faster ones would catch up. However what it did give me the opportunity to do, was to run downhill towards Hope town with the first few runners. Now, being a skier, I'm not sure if it helped but down hill I managed to stay with some of these guys for about a mile. But the speed they navigated those downhill stretches was frightening, well for me it was anyhow.
I carried on running my own pace and headed off toward Aston, this was the fist time I really needed to use my navigation skills, but it was quite easy to negotiate and quick to see I was still on route. I then began running and chatting to a local lady runner who knew the area rather well. She then asked me if I ran the Belper 20 last year as she recognised not me but my run keep app.!!! Amazing what you remember about people.
As I past the lovely looking Aston hall I found a path that I had been looking on the Internet at all week to make sure I didn't go wrong. The signpost simply said "Win Hill". Well I knew all about this hill having wanted to throw myself off it at the dig deep race. However on this occasion I was coming from the opposite direction and we were running more around it than directly up it. This still made it tricky but nothing to the degree of my previous effort. As I crossed the summit and headed down to the Lady Bower reservoir we threw an immediate right to come back on ourselves. The great bit of this downhill run was that it was all through wonderfully smelling bracken, something I hadn't enjoyed the smell of for many years, but now 5 years post non smoker, here I was running and enjoying the wonderful smells as i used to as a child.
From the reservoir I set off along what I think was a disused railway track near Thornhill, during this point the long tour runners headed off on what looks like an additional 10 mile loop. I felt sad that I had opted to do the short tour but somehow pleased at the same time. I was about 4-5 miles from the finish but felt real strong, as if I had another 10 or so miles left in me. But on the plus side, I was really enjoying this event and probably because I didn't have to go much further helped that. With one more little climb to do through shatton I was we'll on the way home. Another outstanding view from the top saw me looking down toward the finish line from way above. I headed on down feeling really sad, not sad at my time but sad it was all over.
I finished in 3hr15 mins securing an overall pace of 12-30 which I was very pleased with. I had ran so so so much of this event with walking only reserved for the severe inclines when nearly all were walking. if It was runnable I ran/shuffled it.
There were plenty of finishers behind me and I was happy with my placing for such a tough fell race. I spoke to the organisers at length afterwards whilst waiting for the long tour winner to come back. They insist that next year they are going to mark the course much better, not that I thought it needed it to be honest, but a few had complained. I praised the organisers whilst drinking some their coffee and eating their cookies.
The long tour winner came home over 16 mins ahead of the second place man. He had managed it in 5 hrs 10ish, not bad at all.
This is definitely a race I would recommend to other Striders, beautiful scenery challenging without being suicidal friendly well organised and great fun.
For more information visit the website.
Paul
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