MdS - Day 4 - The Long Day

Hi,

Stage 3 - Erg Znaïgui/Aferdou Nsooualhine : 91 km

Quick results
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Position Time
583 out of 773 24:26:16
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The long day is traditionally 40 to 50 miles long, because of the cancellation of Day 1 the race organiser made it the longest ever in MdS history at 56 miles. Throw in appalling rocky climbs, countless dunes, hot temperatures, sand storms, pushing on through the night and its fair to say I've never been through anything so horrific in my entire life.

It took me 24 hours ish to complete and the memory is to raw to recount now. My feet are trashed, my shoulders muscles destroyed, and I've ended up eating what must be about 1kg of dust. Dave and I went through the most extreme highs and lows many times and managed to get each other through somehow.

On the bright side I have this afternoon to recover before a marathon tomorrow. There's rumours it will be super hard again to make up for the shorter distance this year. The last stage (a 10 mile run) has been cancelled for reasons unknown (their translator has the worst accent ever).

Thanks for the messages, they're great to receive.

Below is a picture of the camels finishing late in the day!

MdS - Day 3 - A walk in the park? :)

Hi,

Stage 2 - Znaigui circular: 35km

Quick results
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Position Time
779 out of 798 08:43:26
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Today started very cold, and with the sad news that Dave was still feeling ill. I think he's picked up a bug from somewhere and it is not plesant. So a quick change of tactic was necessary as both Dave and I had agreed there was no way Jack Osborne (who'd managed 1 stage of the MdS) was beating either of us!

To start with the camels where worryingly close, and but slowly but surely Dave pulled himself through, little by little, step by step. Soon the camels couldn't even be seen as we kept up our consistent walking pace.

The back of the field is definitely where the heroics are, and I was privilaged to see some incredible examples of human spirit.

As we left checkpoint 2 we had a long slog across a featureless landscape, and then some steep dunes. We could see the finish line and ran across together to much relief.

I hope when I face my dark hour I can face it with as much deterimination as Dave. More emails please, they're great to receive :)

MdS - Day 2 - The start... finally

Hi

Stage 1 - ERG CHEBBI / ERG ZNAÏGUI: 33 Km

Quick results
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Position Time
438 out of 805 05:03:39
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Today the race finally got underway. Staright into 12K of sand dunes and boy are they tough. The recent rain means that they are more stable underfoot then usual which is good. Already using my trekking poles though, but they are excellent at helping me through. Pack is very heavy sadly, around 11kg with water which takes its toll, my shoulder ache lots currently.

Thankfully CP1 (2:20 ish) to CP2 (3:40) was flat (about 9km), and I found the strength to motor on through this section. After CP 2 there were more dune sections. Really tall, like climbing a huge hill. After another 9km or so I reached the end in a little over 5 hours.

Heat manageable today, and feet OK. Gaiters took some minor damage, but have fixed via the miracles of Gaffer tape. Some very impressive landscapes out there, strangely beautiful considering the lack of green, give me the countryside of England any day though

MdS - Well would you believe it!

The journey out to Morocco was fairly uneventful. I'd been joking with many of the competitors that I was bringing the Manchester weather with me and it would rain. Our journey to the first bivovac took an age and it started to rain! As the journey went on the rain increased. by the time we got to the bivovac the french organisers didn't know what to do. One group where sent the final leg across the sands via army trucks. My coach eventually gave up waiting and in the now torrential downpour that even even the British weather would be proud of took us to a nearby town.

The reports from the front line were bad. The campsite was flooded, coaches were stuck by flooded roads, and there was no plan B! 11 hours after we originall boarded the coaches the organisers managed to find a hotel to put us in. The first stage has now been cancelled and a new plan is being looked at. To top it off my mobile is now out of action due to SIM card issues! They apparently last had rain during the MdS 11 years ago... for 30 minutes! The course is now a mess as parts where along dried up river beds as usual.

Spirits around the camp are hard to describe. Immense disappointment is obviously there. This has been a 2 year build up. There is also a lot of laughter though at the ridculouseness of the situation. There is hope the race will continue from stage two, but in what format I don't know.

Not sure when I'll get to post again as who knows if the organisers email equipment is working. The main thing is everyone is safe, which set against pictures on the local news of locals less fortunate then us means we have a lot to be thankful of, plus I won my pint bet with Sharky about the rain, so it's not all bad!

Cheers

Andy

Final pre Marathon des Sables post!

Hello all,

A quick update before I head out to the desert! First off I’d like to thank everyone who's sponsored me. Recently the total sponsorship passed the £2000 mark for the British Red Cross which I’m over the moon with! In many ways for me the fundraising target was almost as daunting as the race itself as my previous fundraising efforts raised around the £400 mark and so £2000 seemed equally extreme as the race, but its been amazing how the event really seems to have captured peoples attention. I know from my now regular chats with Laura (Regional Fundraising Manager) at the British Red Cross that they are incredibly grateful.

I’m now less then a week away from the start line (29th March) and I’ve had an incredible adventure even just to get to this point with newspaper and radio interviews, treadmill marathon fundraising and some unusual races. I'd never have thought all these things were possible when I signed up 2 years ago so I guess I've learnt a lot about life on the way too! I can’t wait for the start now and I’m hoping to be able to post the odd update to my JogBlog when I’m out there.

Whilst the race is on I’m told that it is possible to follow my progress and send messages to me via the race organiser’s website. My race number is 732 and for sending messages I’ve been given the instructions, "friends/family will need to go to the organisers' website - www.darbaroud.com - and look for 'Ecrire au concurrents/write to competitors'. In previous years, this hasn't gone live until the Sunday that the race starts", so if you fancy sending me a message then please do.

Thanks for your support and I’ll write to you all again when I’m back in the UK.

Cheers

Andy

Bramhall Centre Marathon Special

Hi all,

As a charity fund raising event I thought I'd run a marathon on a treadmill. As the Beetles sang, "I got by with a little help from my friends!", and thanks to the help from lots of people on 7th March 2009 the first ever Bramhall Centre Marathon took place with a grand total of one entrant... me!

Quick results below
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Position Time Money Collected
1st! 4:10:00 £332.80
-------------------

Its amazing how ideas become reality, and having tried and failed to get permission elsewhere to run a marathon treadmill fundraiser, and having the problem of not owning a treadmill myself, I was a little doubtful if this idea would come off. However things took a turn for the better when my Campaign Manager, Chris Wood, suggested Bramhall Centre and asked his sister Gemma if I could borrow her treadmill, and she kindly said yes! A quick email to Bramhall Centre and I was put in touch with Carole who managed to get permission, and not only that, got some of the local shops on board, and arranged for transport of the treadmill from Karl of Unique Property Services! In the end I had Loved kindly letting me run outside their Beauty Salon and offering me a massage at the end (which I can recommend!), Ryan Jake offering me a Haircut, The Bubble Room offering me a post race recovery drink of Champagne, and Jim Hall Sports offering £50 worth of vouchers for a raffle to raise money and giving me some running shirts!



So at about 10:45 the treadmill was switched on and the long 26.2 mile run started. Anton and my Mum were on the first shift and straight away people were kindly donating. At a couple of points they were even a little swamped and struggling to keep up with the raffle ticket writing and sticker giving! The event really seemed to capture the interest of people out and about in Bramhall as some cars driving by honked their horns, or even wound their window down and donated money! We were shortly joined by Big Pete and Mrs Forrest who got into the spirit of things helping to raise donations. I had been worried if enough of my friends would be able to help out, but these fears disappeared quickly when yet another volunteer arrived in the form of Matt! There was a great light hearted atmosphere to the event and after a couple of hours reinforcements arrived with Mark, Ann-Marie, paparatzi Russ, and Chris!

I also had plenty of visits from work and running mates. Mike and Helen brought some lovely rosettes with a picture of me in the middle, as well as some badges! Lee from Stockport Harriers took a detour on his long run via Bramhall Village and brought me some energy gels to keep me going. Fiona and Stil popped along to make sure the event was properly audited, and Sandy got into the fitness theme by cycling down after successfully completing the Bramhall 5K!


At 23 miles the Stockport Express came along and took some photo's (fingers crossed they pick a better one then last time)! As the final few miles ticked by I knocked the pace up on the treadmill, but perhaps a little too much as about 100 metres before the finish it overheated and cut out! Thankfully it re-started and we made it to the full marathon distance and I got to celebrate like a true athlete by eating a wonderful cookie!


A huge thank you to everyone involved and already mentioned in this post, we raised a massive £332.80 and the owners of Bramhall Centre have been incredibly generous and said they will match what we raised bringing the grand total to £665.60!!!!!! Clearly I should consider a career change :) It wouldn't have been possible without everyone's help, and it was great to see how positive and encouraging people were! Clearly this was an example of the great community spirit in Bramhall!


Cheers

Andy

P.S. A quick note to say that the Podmore's and the Heath's won the raffle for £25 worth of Jim Hall vouchers!

2009 Marrakech Marathon Special

Hi all,

Well another special race for me as this was my first international Marathon and the first time I’ve been to Africa. The Marrakech Marathon has been running for 20 years now, and has an average temperature of 20 Celsius at the end of January when it’s held. Sadly for me though it was overcast and probably about 17 Celsius. I entered this race with Dave and so it was yet another MdS training event for us! The brief results are below

-------------------------------
Men’s results only (only because this is how the organisers published the results)

Position Gun Time Chip time
372 out of 547 4:06:51 4:04:01


Gross result Net result
10 km 1:04:01 1:01:11
21 km 2:08:10 2:05:20
-------------------------------

I’d had a bad case of Man Flu in the week leading up to this marathon and so nearly had to pull out of running, but fortunately the old white blood cells managed to rally and shake most of the illness off by race day and I felt about 90% or so. Given the less than ideal build up I had to play this one cautiously and so I dumped the plan to run with my backpack, but this worked out OK as Dave was weighed down with his MdS backpack so I’d have company at the back :) Given the circumstances we thought we’d get a time of around 4:30:00 to 4:45:00.

We had to pick up our race numbers on the Saturday and this proved to be entertaining as many fellow Europeans from France and Spain displayed a complete inability to queue and pushed past us and a fellow Brit on several occasions. Maybe they had decided they were more important then us, and so shouldn’t have to wait like us? It didn’t help with the organisers being so slow when handing out the numbers.

Anyway at the start line it became obvious that this was a “serious” marathon. There was a reported 5 hour cut off, and rather sadly, no outlandish fancy dress or mascots in sight! I was wearing much of my Sahara gear to protect me from the Sun in case it came out whilst we were running, so I looked a bit of a prat - Oi, I heard that :)

The gun went and Dave and I were slightly confused as to where the exact start line was due to there being several inflatable archways all looking like the start! We took the first 10km easy and were surprised by how intimidating the Atlas Mountains looked as at one point we were running towards them. There was one humorous point in this stage where a team of “Save the Children” runners all decided to do a group toilet stop in a little forested area, it looked very odd like some “modern” art stunt! Afterwards Team “Save the Children” shot past us and I remember thinking it would be nice to overtake a few of them later in the race if I got the opportunity :)


As the race wore on we slowly increased the pace. At one point we saw a chap carrying several wooden chairs on his back in some clever interlocking structure that looked very heavy and I was glad it wasn’t me carrying them! At the halfway point point we passed a Brazilian woman who had run 41 marathons in different countries round the world and had lots of little signs pinned to her listing the places. She was a great sport full of energy and good vibes and lifted the crowd who seemed a little bored in this section of the race. We passed the halfway point in a time of 2:05:20 which was excellent going considering Dave’s backpack and my recent illness.

Some of the second half of the race was through the small settlements containing rich mansions and farms on the outskirts of Marrakech. The gap between rich and poor was quiet obvious though when we hit the poorer settlements as some of the kids seemed excited by the empty plastic bottles from the water stations, as well as asking us for our shades, watches, and Dave’s proper water bottles from his bag. We also saw some camels in this section which was really odd as there seemed to be no point to them being in this area as it was sparsely populated and they were just tethered to the ground.


Eventually we hit the main highway and started heading back into Marrakech. My legs, heart and lungs still seemed OK, so with 10km to go (my favourite race distance) I thought I’d up the pace. I checked with Dave and at that point he didn’t feel he could go any faster (though I’d later find out he pretty much kept up with me). My main targets were members of a running club called AirSac running and Team “Save the Children”. There were plenty of them scattered around and I kept targeting the next one in front and slowly pulled myself past them. I could see one lone “Save the Children” in the far distance and eventually I caught him up. However this chap proved to be a tough cookie to shake off and it was only with 2km to go to the finish line that I finally managed it. The legs were tired by this point, and I could feel the pace slowing a little and that overwhelming urge for the finish line to appear so I could end it was there.


Dave ended up crossing the finish in 4:08:43 which was an incredible performance with his backpack weighing him down for the whole 26 miles. We also both ended up doing negative splits which is tough to do in a marathon. I was really glad to have just been able to take part as it would have been miserable to have travelled out there and then been forced to watch from the sidelines. A big thank you must go out to all the police, army and other officials who controlled the traffic (they didn’t shut the roads down for this Marathon) as I never felt in the slightest bit in danger from the usually crazy drivers of Marrakech due to the numbers they had manning the junctions. Another mention must go out to the cleaners as there was loads of them every 600 metres or so throughout the course picking up any discarded bottles! Overall I enjoyed this race and Marrakech, but it is certainly not the place for a post race beer as we found it difficult to find places selling alcohol due to obvious reasons. It was great to see Ben too who came along to cheer us on, offend the market owners with certain comments, and get a dodgy tattoo!

Cheers

Andy

The Underround

Hi all,

The Underround is a race around the Streets and tube stations of London. Roughly a marathon in length it, takes in 42 tube stations with the aim to get to a platform (runners choice) within each station using stairs or escalators (but no lifts). It's an anytime event due to practical reasons and its fun based nature. Brief results below:
------------
Position - Joint 1st
Time - 5:17:59
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Well this was great fun and a great excuse to get to London to see some friends :) The day started with a wake up call from Dave at 05:45 so that we could eat and let it digest in time for an early start. It was -3 degrees Celsius outside and so we were eager to start, so after a quick photo at the start we were off!


The exact route is a closely guarded secret, though all the stops are in zone 1 thankfully! On the date we did it only two others had attempted it, and so the time to beat was 5 hours, 24 minutes and 20 second (which Dave nick named RCT - Rory Coleman Time in honour of the organiser). Given Rory's pedigree as an adventure racer (check his site out) I knew the time would be a challenge even if he had been taking it easy. Dave and I were a little to enthusiastic early on as we rattled off the first several tube stations in double quick time, and we were on for 3:30 marathon time, which was clearly to fast and we knew it so slowed down before any damage was done.

Dave's knowledge of central London and tube stations was excellent, and it meant that there was only about a third of the course that we needed to use the map to navigate. Along the way we encountered one or two minor bits of trouble with certain tube entrances being shut, but that only made it more fun (the urban version of a stream flooding forcing a small course change).
As we approached the half way mark we had the 193 steps of Covent Garden to negotiate. A real tough one, and it took its toll on the legs that stayed with us for a while. We were ahead of RCT at this stage and things looked great for a new course record. There were some enthusiastic members of the public who twigged what we were doing when they saw us run back past them on the underground, and we got a shout of "118" from one :)

Whilst out on the course there where a few times we didn't manage to take the shortest route either due to construction work blocking things, or getting slightly lost, but that was all part of the fun. By the time we'd got through 35 stations things were looking really bad on the RCT front. At the time we hadn't factored in, but from station 26 to 35 they all have large gaps and we'd obviously been working off a simplistic evenly distanced estimation for RCT. Spirits started to sag, but right on queue a quick combo of three stations close together helped restore a fighting chance of setting a new record!

As we started our 1.1 mile run to the last tube station of Russell Square we knew it would be close for beating RCT. The problem is that after the gruelling climb of the 177 steps, we still had to run over half a mile back to Kings Cross to finish. The legs were shot, but there wasn't the time for Dave and I to sit and chat, so we threw what was left into a final sprint to Kings Cross. With a bit of luck from the traffic signals we got across Euston Road and managed to finish in a new course record of 5:17:59! You can check out the video below.


A big thanks Dave for being my partner on this event, without his knowledge of London I wouldn't have got round in anywhere near as quick a time. Another big thanks to Pippa to for cooking a wonderful meal for us all afterwards, the perfect end to the day! Obviously thanks to Rory and George who together thought up this unusual route and put the effort in to open it up to others.

Cheers

Andy

What a difference a year makes!

Hello,

I thought I should do an end of year review for all I've accomplished running wise in 2008 in my training for the 24th Marathon des Sables in 2009.

So here are the facts (records only began on my birthday in February thanks to a great present from my parents!):

• Total distance run: 2,313.52 km (1,437.5 miles)
• Total time out running: 225:19:19 (9 days, 9 hours, 19 minutes and 19 seconds)
• Total calories burnt: 168,641
• Total races entered (excluding Park Runs): 12
• Total Park runs (5k): 12
• New PB's at Marathon, Half Marathon and 5K
• Favourite race: Beacon Ultra
• Race I struggled with the most: London Marathon

An interesting graph for the more statistically minded...

Total mileage run would have got me this far as the crow flies on the world map (not as far I thought... the world is a big place!).


Overall I'm left with the nagging feeling of I should have done more training. I am not quiet at the stage I wanted to be at when I made my plan when I signed up for the MdS, but as John Lennon said, "Life is what happens whilst you're busy making plans". In reality, I've been relatively injury free compared with many of my MdS compatriots, and so I am really pleased with what I've managed to achieve. I've completed 3 marathons this year, and my recovery time from each attempt has got shorter. Over the Christmas period I completed my first back to back 20 miler and my legs were OK after it so it looks promising on the crucial aspect of post race recovery. I entered two Ultra Marathons, and although I didn't reach the end on my first one, I learn't a tremendous amount about what I need to do to keep my body going over such a long distance, and I've gained a lot of confidence for knowing that I can complete some Ultra marathons. I've struggled with doing any training in comparable conditions to the MdS temperature though which is a shame, but I hope to correct that in March with an acclimitsation holiday.

Whilst I still need to do some more prep for the MdS (and buy some more kit), I'm feeling like I've given myself at least a fighting chance in the MdS, and that I've taken the training seriously whilst still maintaining a life outside of running (which can be a difficult balance). I'll be keeping everything crossed that I stay injury free over the next couple of months!

Happy New Year all, I hope any running challenge you've signed yourself up for go well.

Cheers

Andy

P.S. Over New Year I had two excellent runs in the Whitby area, I can highly recommend the coastal walks both North and South of Whitby. If you're in the area check them out!

2008 Beacons Ultra Special

Hi folks,

This was the inaugral Beacons Ultra! Billed as "a challenging 45 mile course, designed to be navigational friendly, yet providing the opportunity to experience, safely some of the fantastic mountain terrain the National Park has to offer". We had to be self sufficient in this race for everything but water (food, emergency clothes, first aid kit, head torch), and so my OMM Classic Marathon backpack had its third race outing. The route was a scenic two laps round part of the Brecon Beacons.

Quick results below

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Time Position

11:03:05 26 out of 49

Loop 1 Start Loop 2 Start Loop 2 Finish Overall time

46 mins 4 hrs 49 mins 10hrs 04 mins 11 hrs 03 mins 05 secs

--------------

This was a fantastic event! It was the first time that all of "Team Cold Running" (Dave, Mike, Rich and me - 2009 MdS unofficial MdS team) were together in a race. What's more loads of people from themds.co.uk forum were also there, so I knew roughly half the field one way or another!

Mike had been carrying an injury leading up to this event so was considering only attempting one lap. Dave's training had been patchy since the Budapest Marathon in October, and Rich had returned from a long injury. :S I guess I'd been lucky!

I was grateful that on Friday night when we arrived Perks had organised a Chilli feast with rice, taco's and fajitas! Yum yum, far better then trialing out freeze dry Expedition Food! We had a sweepstake on predicted times and as a pot luck guess I went for 11:03:33.

We lined up at the start line for 08:00 on a cold Saturday morning when most of Britain was still tucked up warm in bed. The race started with Matt from Likeys (the race organiser) signalling the off and we followed the canal slowly heading towards the looming mountains. Rich and I paired up and the field slowly began to thin out. At Checkpoint Charlie (the start of the loop) I quickly filled up and we continued along the canal. We took a right turn and began a long slow climb alongside the Talybont reservoir. This sections seem to last for ages, and Rich and I fast hiked parts due to me being a little cautious from my Bullock Smithy escapades (my aim was to keep the heart rate in the low 150's). There were some great views along this section and its well worth a trip if you're ever in the area.

Eventually we broke out of the Tallybony forrest and finally started to feel what little warmth the Sun was sending our way. Another checkpoint passed by we saw some young army soldiers in full gear on some sort of exercise. We slowly climbed the steeper path along Tor Glas up to "The Gap" (or in Welsh, Fan y Big!!!). Some more great scenes with some snow topped mountains, but there was little time to admire them, as Rich and I made the decent from "The Gap". This side of the mountain was in the shade, and so was still icy and rocky and it made the desent tough, and certainly not one I could run.

Reaching the next checkpoint (Wozza - 19 miles - 3:49) we entered a thin path that was rock strewn, overgrown and a general all round shocker to run through! All part of the fun, and I welcomed the opportunity to walk with honour. After the shocker pathway we emerged onto nice smooth road, my natural home! Rich looked stronger at this stage and was slightly ahead with another chap who we'd caught up. After one or two field crossings we were back on the path and got back to the start of lap at Checkpoint Charlie (23 miles - 4:54). I joked with Rich that I might not be far off my predicted time, though of course there was a lot left to happen. My legs were aching a little, but overall still had reserves in them and I was feeling positive about the situation.

At this point Rich and I caught up with another Mike (wreckferret) and ran with him for a short while. As we started the long slight climb I was feeling a little empty and so fast hiked the entire length this time and Mike and two others passed and went off into the distance. At the Taf Water station (33 miles - 7:15) Rich and I separated as he still looked strong and I didn't want to hold him back. I saw the army troops we'd passed on the first lap again and by now they knew what we were attempting and encouraged me along. I enjoyed hiking up Tor Glas as my running legs had deserted me by this point. The Sun was setting and it had just gone 16:00 as I passed "The Gap" the second time.

Descending from "The Gap" a second time however was tricky. With the temperature plumetting, in the dusk light, there was now even more ice on the ground. Predictably I lost my footing at one point and landed on my arse. Luckily no damage except to my pride! I met Mike (wreckferret) who'd suffered an injury to his legs and was now struggling on the uneven terrain, a real shame, but his dettermined face left me in no doubt he'd continue. Further down I passed Kobus who was hiking one lap of the route, and I felt inspired to see him in the very last of the daylight as he was a big chap and to have got this far was incredible, the sheer strength of will on display made me forget about the aches and pains and I began to run again!

At Checkpoint Wozza (38.5 miles - 8:44) it was now pitch black and I donned my head torch and moved the food I'd need to complete the race to my front pouches. I used my energy drink powder in the water in the hope that it would revive my legs. The shocker pathway was even more difficult in the dark, but by the time I hit the roads I was able to run and felt some strength returning. I overtook a chap at this point who was looking for something in his backpack, but before long he caught up with me again and managed to get ahead. I was really glad to get to Checkpoint Charlie (43.5 miles - 10:04) where an enthusiastic Gilly from the forum had volunteered to man the checkpoint due to being injured (she'd be out in the cold longer than me making sure everyone got back safe).

It was the home stretch all the way now along the canal, the legs were empty and I swigged more of my drink. The watch was ticking away the mileage and I thought I'd come in around 10:50 based on the rumored actual distance of 46 miles. At 45.5 miles I threw what energy I had left into getting a sub 11 hour finish and for the 47th mile even managed a 12:19 pace. I felt bad overtaking a couple at what I thought was the final corner before the finish line... but no... the course continued! The mileage kept on pushing past the 47 mile barrier, and I realised that I wasn't going to get a sub 11, and so now the race was on to beat my sweepstake time. I eventually saw the finish line, and finished at 10:12 a mile pace, with my Garmin bleeping "low battery save now" (my legs felt the same!) with the total distance at 47.79 miles and a time of 11:03:05 (almost exactly what I'd guessed in the sweepstake)!

Martin from Likeys gave me a huge congratulations, a fantastic goody bag, and directions to some hot food! By the time I staggered the short distance into the Rugby club the tolls from the day started catching up with me and I felt really cold. Luckily for me a lovely lady called Sue manning the Chilli wrapped me in a sleeping bag and kept an eye on me for 10 minutes or so... thanks Sue! I saw Rich and heard about his fantastic race. He left me at the 33 mile marker, and managed to finish in 10:24:13 finishing 19th overall, he really must have been going at some pace for the last section!

As time went on we heard news that Mike had gone for a second lap and that him and Dave were at the back of the field helping Sharky get round. They really did have the elements against them as the temperature was plumetting and later Dave told me how the water in his bottle was begining to freeze! Rich and I made our way to the finish line for their finish and it was great to see them both come in over the line with a time of 15:34:35 (Dave with his usual sprint finish screaming!!!).

Back at the Bunkhouse the atmosphere was a lively one with Craig and Perks having cracked open the Veuve Clicquot and having a great time cheering us all up (I was a bit out of it for a while).

Overall this was a great race, and a huge thanks goes out to Matt and Martin (who's wedding was scheduled for the weekend after this race... talk about commitment and an understanding wife), and all the many volunteers who made this race possible. It was great to meet so many people from the forum, and it was a very memorable weekend.

Cheers

Andy

Marathon des Sables

Hi,

A short blog post regarding my Marathon des Sables attempt. In March 2009 I will be entering the 24th Marathon des Sables, which is a foot race covering 151 miles (equivalent to 5 1/2 regular marathons) through the Sahara desert in South Eastern Morocco run over 6 stages (7 days). In addition to that, I'll have to carry everything I will need for the duration (apart from a tent and water) in my rucksack (food, clothes, medical kit, sleeping bag etc). Water is rationed and handed out at each checkpoint. The longest stage is approximately 40 miles long and the temperature can get up to the high 40 degree Celsius!

It's a little different and I've been asked several times why I'm doing it. Well there's not one single reason, more of a collection of smaller reasons including:

• I've been into my running for several years now and enjoy the challenge each new difficulty of event brings.
• I saw a TV programme on it (Jack Osbourne Adrenaline Junkie) and the MdS looked an incredible challenge with a fantastic comaradarie amongst the other competitors.
• Two work friends, and one uni mate were interested in entering also, and this was to much of a coincidence for me to let it slip by.
• I'm hoping to raise some money for the Red Cross by attempting this challenge and so hopefully benefit some people in need

If you're able to help with a donation then that would be much appreciated. All money goes to the Red Cross as this event is completely self funded.

Cheers

Andy

2008 Lincoln Spires and Steeples Challenge

Hi folks,

The Lincoln Spires and Steeples challenge is a race along the Spires and Steeples heritage trail from Lincoln Castle to Sleaford. It's mostly a flat off road, and roughly marathon distance (26 miles). This was the inaugural event, so I was part of history!

Quick results below
------------
Time
3:51:53
------------

This was a great weekend. I'd never been to Lincoln before and so Lauren and I got up early on the Saturday and travelled down to Lincoln to see some of the sights. It was a quick tour sadly though due to having to leave the car at the finish in Sleaford (so I could get back from the end of the marathon the next day!). Lincoln Cathedral looked very impress, and for some reason Lincoln seems to be associated with Tea as there are many bizarre tea shops and retailers near it in the cathedral quarter. There's even an old windmill in a housing estate! Well worth a visit.

On the Sunday I got up early, drank most of the orange juice in the B&B before other guests got up, and headed out to the start. At the start the atmosphere was good, and as the announcements got underway it became apparent that navigation on the route may be needed as it wouldn't be clearly marked, the problem being that for runners they simply had a sheet of paper with abbreviated directions on... well they didn't exactly make much sense to me! So I looked for local running clubs with the thinking that they would know the route and I was surprised to see that the small town of Sleaford had two running clubs, Sleaford Town Runners and Sleaford Striders! I was keen to get the inside gossip on the rivalry between the clubs, and decided that the less serious and more family oriented Sleaford Striders would be my honorary running club for the day.

As the whistle went we had an easy start running down from Steep Hill to the canal to follow that for a while. I chatted with an Irish chap who was running with a backpack because he had no support crew / system, and so needed clothes to change into at the end! He was a marathon veteran of over a 100 and so I knew he'd be OK. Irish Chap wasn't a local resident however, and my new club of the Sleaford Striders were nowhere to be seen. Up ahead I could see some Town Runners (TRs), but they were going at a fair pace, and I suspected they were only doing the half marathon route, and so it would be a very bad idea for me to keep up with them, so I just plodded along keeping some unmarked runners in my sights.


Thankfully with it still being reasonably early in the race there were generally people in sight and so at one really tricky point I was able to follow someone (just) who knew the way to the first checkpoint in Branston. Leaving Branston I managed to catch up with two TRs (members of my arch rival running club for the day). It turned out that the chap was a rather mean guy (Idiot Runner) who took pleasure in non-locals getting lost and had been trying to lose me between checkpoints. His attitude was one of "do your homework, know the course and print a map out, I'm a canoeist not a runner so I need all the help I can get", mine was more of, "It's billed as a run, not a navigational challenge, and you've joined a running club, are at marathon standard, and have been controlling your pace with your partner based on heart rate so that makes you a runner as well as a canoeist". I'd say in my years of running, he managed to claim the prize as the first runner during a race I've met who was a prat, luckily there's not many like him. His partner in crime turned out to be a nice lady (TA Runner) who was a teaching assistant.

As the next couple of miles wore on Idiot Runner slowed down dragging TA Runner with him, and I took the opportunity to tag along with Irish Chap and realised my route instructions had fallen out of my pocket! Now I really was in trouble if I lost sight of people! Luckily Irish Chap was rather good at running, reading and navigating and managed to get us to the halfway point in Metheringham.

After the halfway point Irish Chap had to stop for a short while and so I looked round in desperation to join another group, and the only one in sight was Idiot Runner and TA Runner, so reluctantly I joined them again. As the miles wore on there were some interesting sights to be seen. Naturally there's loads of churches on the route, but we also passed an RAF airbase and the Dorrington Demons caught my eyes as being the best thing on the route with an interesting history also!



Idiot Runner tired after Dorrington and TA Runner, another runner and I were left. Thankfully TA Runner had recc'd the final 10 miles of the route, so my plan was to stay with her. As we crossed yet more farmers fields though the toll of running on dried uneven ploughed fields and a strong headwind took its toll and I could feel my strength begin to fail. This was frustrating to say the least as I'd been putting in a fair bit of tough training involving hills in the Peak district, so I'd hoped the flats of Lincoln would be "easy" in comparison. At the 23 mile marker I had to let TA Runner and the other chap go, and by 24 miles I was reduced to run walking.


Psychologically it was very hard having to walk sections, as obviously I started beating myself up thinking if you can't even run the whole of a flat marathon in Lincoln, you've got no hope in the MdS. Looking back now I wonder if I had needed to eat more during the race?

Anyway, I eventually got over myself and managed to start running again for the final mile and cross the finish line. A lady in full mayoral chains congratulated me and seemed very impressed that I'd travelled from Stockport. Rather bizarrely the results have not been published online for the events, and in my daze I forgot what position I got, so all I know is the time from my Garmin!

Anyway, a big thanks to the race organisers, and to Lauren for coming along and keeping me company before and after the race. Overall I think the last 6 miles gets a little boring, but the rest of the route is excellent, well worth a try.

Cheers

Andy

Hope Moors & Tors Challenge Fell Race Special

Hello,

The Hope Moors & Tors Challenge is a 20 Mile fell race starting in the village of Hope and taking in Cave Dale, Mam Tor, Hollins Cross, Edale, Grindsbrook Clough, Jaggers Clough and Lose Hill. All in all, tough terrain!

Quick results below

-------------------

Position Time

45 out of 95 4:16:03

Split times (Course route)

1 - 39:41 2 - 50:45 3 - 1:04:03 4 - 1:15:12 5 - 1:51:12 6 - 2:41:34 7 - 3:07:30 8 - 3:34:33 9 - 3:51:03 10 - 4:16:03

-------------------

On the morning of this race I nearly had to pull out of it due to the horrendous rain that was lashing down as I set off from Stockport. The road under the bridge near Furness Vale was flooded quite deeply and I had to turn back. Before taking an alternative route to the start I rang the organiser, the conversation went something like this:

Me: Hi, I'm struggling to reach you due to the flooded roads from the heavy rain, I'm just wondering if the race is even still on?

Yorkshire man: *said with confusion* err, yes of course its still on.

Me: What are the road conditions like where you are?

Yorkshire man: I've had reports that its a little wet on the roads, but nothing major.

Me: OK thanks, I'll try and get through (privately thinking Yorkshire man must think I'm a right wimp now)

Thankfully when I got there it turned out that whilst it was raining in Hope, it was nowhere near as bad as I had experienced getting there. The course is a figure of 8 shape centred on Hollins Cross and starting and finishing in the South East corner (Hope)

For this event we used dibbers to check in at each checkpoint. After checking in at the start we all lined up. The course had a cut off of getting to Edale in 1.5 hours, which I thought was particularly tough time limit and was a little concerned about breaking, so there'd be no daudling in the first section! The whistle went and we were off. The first couple of miles were a little bunched up, and stiles don't work to well in grouped race conditions, thankfully they were also quiet flat. I knew the climb up Cave Dale would be an early test from my experience on the Bullock Smithy, what I didn't expect was to meet my fellow Bullock Smithy Cave Dale companion Bernard on it! What a coincidence! We had a quick laugh as we climbed and then I pushed on.

After the tough climb I came across the first checkpoint and dibbed in. After a flat section which provided a welcome respite, I came to the next checkpoint at the foot of Mam Tor. The climb up Mam Tor was tough, and I pushed a little to hard I think looking back. The field was starting to thin out now, and I ran down to Hollins Cross making use of the downhill to up the pace. After dibbing in at the centre of the figure 8, I headed North West. The path was a little confusing, and I pushed harder to keep up with two guys in the distance as to lose them would mean wasting time reading the map. I reached Edale and dibbed in. It had taken me 1 hour 15 minute, but the cut off had cost my energy levels dearly. I gobbled some biscuits down and jogged off in a more casual fashion feeling more relaxed now that there were no more cutoffs.

My happy feelings quickly evaporated though as I came upon Grindsbrook Clough for the first time in my life. On the map its marked as a main footpath... the reality is that it starts of as a nice easy trail, then starts to climb and gets more uneven, then starts to go over large rocks and climb fairly sharply, and finally the foot path disappears and is replaced by a slope of boulders and rocks that you have to climb up on all fours! Throw in a swollen stream from the rain and you get the idea of how tough this section was! I was glad to get to the top and dib in at the checkpoint!

The course then turned East along the Kinder plateau as we ran along the cliff face. This was tough going to with the odd smooth large boulder. It looked a little like Mordor from Lord of the Rings due to the peat soil and the rocks which where a dark colour. This was the longest section, and it felt like it lasted forever. My body was definitely on a downward spiral by now due to the terrain, and I slowed down to preserve what reserves I had, as there was still a tough climb to come!

Dibbing in near Jaggers Clough I was glad that the route continued downhill. The stream in Jaggers Clough was a mess with the stepping stones under a couple of inches of water from the stream. I was running really low on water by this point though as the Sun was now out and there'd been no water at the last two checkpoints due to their remoteness. I made the cardinal mistake of following another runner towards the turn off near Clough farm, but the chap in front picked the wrong route, and I like a lemming followed and so added about a mile onto the course! Running up the driveway to the Youth Hostel whilst everyone else was running down was pretty embarressing I tell you! Thankfully there was loads of water and biscuits at the checkpoint so I stocked up for the last big push.

Leaving the Youth Hostel we headed towards Hollins Cross and began the difficult climb. It was pretty sheer, definitely no running up the hill! After getting to the top and dibbing in, I noticed Mike from the Bullock Smithy was with me and I had a brief conversation between the big gasps for air! It didn't get any easier as we headed towards Lose Hill. Another tough climb and disappointing to see Mike and his companion blatently cheat on this section as the checkpoint has one stile before the top of Lose Hill, and they took a shortcut after it instead of following the directions to the very top of Lose Hill.

Finally though I was on the home straight, though by now I was running on fumes, and struggling to get a pace faster then a zomie ambling in some 1950's B movie. I was glad when I eventually found myself on the main road going through Hope with the finish line in sight. Dibbing in at the finish was a huge relief, as it had been a tough 20 miles, and my pace to begin with had been too quick and I doubt I could have carried on much longer.

Overall this is an excellent race taking in some spectactular scenary. I really enjoyed it and was pleased with my performance. The tomato soup at the end was particularly refreshing! :) A big thanks to the organisers!

Cheers

Andy

2008 Stanage Struggle FR Special

Hello folks,

The Stanage Struggle is approximately a 10K Fell Race classed as BM from Hathersage up a steep climb to Stannage Edge, along it and then back. Its organised by the Fat Boys running club.

Quick results below

--------------

Time Position

53:03 98 out of 282

--------------

I was invited to this race by Marple Phil who promised an excellent race followed by a pub lunch!!!! How could I refuse? I even managed to drag Lauren and her friend Brian along, though they wisely chose to do a nice walk from Ladybower Reservoir instead of competing in this race :)

Parking the car at this event was one of the hardest things as the race officials directed me into a field that was more a a hill to be honest. I only have a little Corsa, and after seeing a four by four need a push because of wheel spin from the muddy ground I thought I'd be in trouble. Sure enough, I needed a push from the parking attendents which was much appreciated. I think the lesson learned by all hear was just because the person driving the car can run off road, doesn't mean the car can!

I met up with Marple Phil and his friends and became a honourary Wootton Road Runner for the day. The weather was sunny and warm, and I'd even borrowed a bit of sun cream from another Fell Runner as it was that good! The whistle went and we were off! It was a congested start going over undulating footpaths. I kept it a little calm to begin with as these Fell Running is a very different beast to road running. The first proper climb was tough, and with it being early in the race I kept on running, however when I reached what I thought was the end of the climb I realised that there was a huge amount more, you just couldn't see it all in one go! As the climb went on my legs began to burn more and more with the exertion. I was contantly hoping for it to be the end, and as I hit some of the steeper sections I decided to fast hike instead. Many of the people continued to "run", but weren't going much faster then me at all.

Reaching the top of the Stannage Edge was a huge relief, I wish I'd had time to stop and appreciate what was an outstanding view, but I didn't, and so I trudged onwards. I was about a third of the way through the course at this point, and my legs were in a terrible state. I reckon I'd clearly pushed to hard on the climb for the ability my legs were at and was now paying the price. Even though Stannage Edge is pretty flat at the top, the uneven surface means you have to watch where you put your foot. For the first few minutes my rubber legs must have made me look like I was a drunkard taking part in a bar crawl rather than a fell runner. I realised at this point I'd put to much effort into the early part of the race and I was now going to be running on fumes until the end. The heart rate graph tells the story finishing with a dangerously high average!

Coming down of Stannage Edge was real tough due to hugely uneven ground and thick undergrowth lining the trail. Once the downhill flattened out a bit I used increased the pace and overtook a few who had got passed me earlier. Sadly there was a couple of stiles to cross, and by this point I was exhausted, and the inevitable happened as I stacked it coming down from one and ended up on the floor though thankfully with no damage except to my pride. On entering a field I noticed several runners take a looping route. I decided for the direct route and realised to late they'd been avoiding the bog! I emerged cleaner than I should have somehow with one leg thick with mud up to my shins, but it could have been worse.

I really was on my last legs by now and the route back just seemed to go on forever! Finally the last downhill appeared by the Primary School. I threw what little I had left and sprinted down the hill overtaking two runners only to find in my absolute horror that there was a short but steep up hill to the finish in the school playing field... my pace collapsed and I was barely going faster then a walk when the two runners overtook me climbing up the hill. I crossed the finish line with emense relief and pleased with my time of 53:03. Marple Phil wasn't far behind 57:01. After a quick catch up I managed to clean myself up a bit, and then Lauren turned up and bought some ice cream which turned out to be the best I've had in years!!!!

Overall this was a tough but really enjoyable race, and the Sunday lunch we all had aferwards was fantastic too! Thanks very much to the Fat Boys running club for organising it!

Cheers

Andy

2008 Bullock Smithy Special

Hello,

Quick results below

------------------------------
Position Time
Retired (12 of 14 checkpoints) 13:29:00

BS – 12:58 CC – 14:15 EX – 15:12 ED – 15:57 CA – 16:44
PF – 17:49 MD – 18:59 CM – 20:00 ES – 20:52 BT – 22:14
CC – 23:55 WB – 01:29

------------------------------

Well the Bullock Smithy really is a unique event! 56 miles round the Peak District, some 8000 feet of climbing, starting off at mid day so even the fastest have to do at least some of the route in the dark and throw in navigating between checkpoints and you quickly get a feel for how tough this race is and will quiet probably be the toughest race I do before the Marathon des Sables! I can’t possibly do this race report justice as over 13 hours a lot happens, so I’ll have to just mention the highlights.

The build up to this race was a mixture of good and bad. The good was that I’d reccyed what I hoped would be the night time section of the course, I’d managed to get 204km in training the month before, and my new fell shoes seemed good in training. The bad, my back injury had meant I’d only managed one decent months worth of training in the last three and this was several leagues above anything I’d done before.

At the start I met up with Ivan, Rose and Steph from themds.co.uk forum and started to suspect I had over packed as my back pack was the heaviest. This was quickly confirmed when I met a couple of the Stockport Harriers who had big bum bags on only! Not a good start!

My plan was to walk the up hills, jog/walk the flats, and jog the down hills till nightfall, after which I suspected I’d be reduced to walking due to the conditions

Stage 1 – to Bowstones (total distance 5 miles)
The anvil was struck to signal the start of the race and we were off. Being a runner, I followed the other runners (and there were loads of them!) down the road towards Poynton rather than the recommended route (a slightly indirect road route is quicker for a runner than a direct off road footpath). There was a great moment when in the thick of a herd of runners, a sheep got confused and tried to join us, only to realise when it got really close that we weren’t sheep and panicked. The climb to the top of Bowstones in Lyme Park was tough, but I was pleased to see I was making good time. I grabbed a drink and kept moving

Stage 2 – to Chinley Churn (total distance 10 miles)
The start was easy, all downhill, but this didn’t last long as we had to climb up the hill on the other side of the valley. Still going strong I approached Furness Vale and was joined by two experienced Fell Runners who’d done the course before (though the last time Bernard had done it was 20 years ago!). The climb out of Furness Vale was another long one, made difficult by the fact that the narrow path was flooded and very boggy in parts. As we got to the top, I checked in and headed straight off on the next stage

Stage 3 – to Edale Cross (total distance 14 miles)
I had to make a quick loo stop, and that meant I lost Bernard and Mike, but carried on down hill undeterred. The field had really started to thin out by now and I could only see 3 or 4 people within sight. Just before completing a short climb I'd past Bernard who looked liked he too needed the loo! I caught up with Mike and a woman joined us who was a keen mountain who usually biked this part of the course. After making a really steep decent, she stopped and got her trekking poles out. I foolishly thought she was tired already, but as we turned the corner I saw why... Edale Cross is one hell of a climb approaching from the West. It was absolutely gruelling, first I lost contact with the woman as the poles really came into there own, then I lost contact with seasoned veteran Mike as he powered his way up. Finally I reached the top with pulled up socks man (PUSM), though I must have looked a state as the checkpoint team asked me if I was OK!

Stage 4 – to Edale (total distance 18 miles)
Thankfully PUSM was a seasoned veteran too and knew the route down to Edale so I tried to stay close to him on the decent. The East side of Edale Cross is known as Jacob's Ladder, and is like a huge stair case made out of massive rocks, some weighing half a tonne which were winched up from the river below (which let me tell you is a long way down). Very impressive, but hard to run on, so this downhill was mainly wasted for me! I managed to just keep PUSM in sight till we were almost at Edale, but I had to stop to remove a stone from my shoe and sort my socks out and Bernard also appeared from nowhere and overtook me. It was a great relief to get to Edale as they were serving rice pudding with fruit salad! I wasted a little time refilling my water and so I missed Bernard departing sadly.

Stage 5 – to Castleton (total distance 20 miles)
Edale to Castleton is only 2 miles... easy... or not as proved to be the case. This short distance between the two towns has a tall ridge (including the hill Mam Tor) in the way with the lowest practical point known as Hollins Cross at 411 metres. This is a tough climb on its own, but couples with the previous ones it was tough. The view from the summit was fantastic though, and well worth the 30 second break I took to appreciated it. The decent was tricky though due to wet rocks which constantly made me feel like I was going to slip, so half of this downhill was wasted also. The history behind this route though is fascinating as the people living in Edale use to have to bring their dead over Hollins Cross to bury them in the church in Castleton until Edale got its own church! Entering the Castleton I registered at the checkpoint and caught up with Bernard. Two good Fell runners had retired through injury here… a warning that on any given day it doesn’t matter how good you are, you’re at the mercy of the course

Stage 6 – to Peak Forrest (total distance 24 miles)
Leaving Castleton there was a comedy moment when I popped into a hiking shop to ask for directions to the footpath for the Pennine way only to be told by the assistant “sorry mate, don’t know it”! Bernard directed us via the Cavedale route, and this turned out to be like hiking up a waterfall! Small and medium sized rocks make up the steep climb, but plenty of water was rushing downhill from the previous few days of heavy rain. It made climbing very difficult and soaked our feet. Bernard and I had some great chats as we progressed along this stage. My body was beginning to feel the effects of the run by this point and my pace had slowed a little and coming to Peak Forrest provided a welcome rest with the lovely oranges they had prepared for us all

Stage 7 – to Millers Dale (total distance 28 miles)
Bernard and myself left Peak Forrest together on what looked on the map a simply and fast stage with a small climb to begin with and then a downhill farm track and bridle way all the way to the end. Sadly the previous day’s rain had turned the track into a mud bath, and a farmer was moving his cows along it as we passed. We tried not to think what we were stepping in! :) As the stage progressed I knew my stamina was fading but it was great to pass the 26 miles marathon mark (6.5 hours!) and know that every step from now on was a new record for me. I began to feel like I was holding Bernard back a little and offered him the chance to scoot on ahead, but he was happy to accompany me to the end of the stage and take it from there. Eventually, feet covered in mud and soaking, we hauled ourselves into the checkpoint and had some soup. Bernard was happy to stay a little and he looked strong, whereas I wasn’t by this stage, so I set off before him to force the break as I didn’t want to hold him back, and knew I needed to get moving before I stiffened up.

Stage 8 – to Chelmorton (total distance 32 miles)
Millers Dale is a beautiful area, and I’d been on a walk previously round the footpaths here with Lauren, this time however I chose to stick to the road climbing out of Millers Dale as the conditions underfoot had been so bad I really couldn’t afford to waste energy slugging through mud unnecessarily. It was another tough climb and it was the last time I saw the Dad and his 13 year old daughter (on a “father daughter bonding day” as he told me… what a family!). Bernard and his new travelling companion also caught me up and overtook me on the climb. His new companion was fascinating as the chap was a hiker and hadn’t run at all! Just goes to show you what a consistent fast and strong walking pace can do. By the end of the climb I was in a group of 4 with Mike again from the Chinley Churn stage again! As we approached the checkpoint it started getting dark and I unveiled my sexy leopard skin pattern head torch! I also put on my running jumper as my pace wasn’t fast enough to stay warm in the cooling night time air!

Stage 9 – to Earl Sterndale (total distance 35 miles)
It was now pitch black, and whilst this stage was relatively simple, I didn’t know the way, and this worried me. I dug deep and threw the last of my running reserves into keeping up with Mike and the crew on the running sections, but it was clear I was the weakest in this group. I trudged on through the dark with the guys and we eventually approached Earl Sterndale much to my relief. I spent probably close to 10 minutes at this checkpoint trying to recover, and the man with his dog (MWHD) came in, the dog looking like it wasn’t even tired!

Stage 10 – to Brand Top (total distance 39 miles)
This was a tough stage and I knew it! From here on in I knew the way at least, and it was a good job as Mike were too strong for me on the vicious up hill (that’s a great downhill on the Buxton half). I slipped back into the group behind which was 6 or so strong including MWHD and had a bit of a laugh with him about his super fit dog (which apparently doesn’t like him donning his running kit without taking him out too!). As we approached the climb to Brand Top we encountered the ridiculous climb to the farm. It was one of the smallest climbs all day, but it was liquid mud all the way up, absolutely disgusting, and the only way you could escape it dry would have been with waders! MWHD joked that he must write a letter of thanks to the farmer for keeping that path in such excellent condition! At the top it was a short run to the checkpoint where they were serving hot dogs!

Stage 11 – to Cumberland Cottage (total distance 43 miles)
I left Brand Top by after changing my socks but knowing there was a group only a minute in front. I caught up with them on the downhill and was surprised to see it included PUSM. It was raining a medium amount by this point and I had my waterproof jacket on. The legs were struggling and I felt my body continuing its downward spiral. I was fairly amazed I was still in the game as I’d been on the ropes since the Chelmorton checkpoint. We stayed mainly walking on the roads (even flats and downhill) as it seemed the most sensible option. The public footpaths may have been shorter, but would have cost more energy dealing with boggy off road conditions, with the risk of getting lost. We passed Three Shires Head which is beautiful during the day, but there’s nothing to see at night, and my legs felt drained... though not as drained as my Garmin gizmo which ran out of battery at this point! I wasn’t talking much by this point as all my focus was needed to continue. Eventually I saw Walker Barn and was relieved as it gave me the chance to put my water proof trousers on.

Stage 12 – to Walker Barn (total distance 47 miles)
I was the weakest in the group and knew I’d be holding them back and being pulled along faster then I could cope with so I told them not to wait for me whilst I was putting my waterproof trousers on. There didn’t seem to be any other groups around for the first time in the entire race, and so I left the checkpoint on my own, feeling bad, but knowing I could make it to the next checkpoint. The first third of the stage is fairly flat, but the rest is all up hill (albeit road uphill so not as tough as Edale Cross). On my own, in the dark, rain drenched, legs drained, the spirit was taking a battering, but I firmly believed if I could get to Walker Barn then I was likely to finish. As I came to Macclesfield Forrest I stayed on Chancery Lane as I thought it would be easier then the off road sections the Forrest route covered… maybe I was right, but it wasn’t an easy option. Chancery Lane is a cycle path, but is made from fist sized stones, and so is very uneven. For the best part of a mile I trudged on with mist rolling in and growing pain in my left knee from the constant jarring it was taking on the uneven road now that half my muscles had packed in. My walking speed had been reduced to about 2 miles an hour by the time I got back to smooth roads, my left knee was in pain, and my spirits were at an all time low. Hobbling up to the Walker Barn checkpoint the lady manning it said “Are you by yourself? You’re not supposed to be on your own during the night stages”, I just trudged off inside and sat down… I knew deep down that to continue would have meant serious damage to my knee, but I was so close! I think the lady realised I wasn’t in a good state and came in after me and asked if I was OK… the realisation dawned on me, and the only sensible option for me was to say “No, I think I need to retire”… probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever said. I was completely gutted. Eventually I managed to get a lift back to the start and I trudged off home to bed. The graph below charts my downward spiral before my gizmo packed in.

Summing up, this was one tough race. The organisers were swamped with retirees this year with a grand total of 77 pulling out and just 64% of starters finishing due to the horrible conditions underfoot. However don't let the bad conditions put you off, this is an excellent event, with incredible organisation and fantastic camaraderie amongst the competitors. I can't thank the Scouting movement enough for holding it, their many volunteers were excellent, and it wouldn't have been possible without them. I very much feel like there is unfinished business between me and the Bullock Smithy, but with a friends wedding taking place on the date next year, I will have to wait until 2010 before I next get a chance to enter!

Cheers

Andy

2008 Goyt Valley 5 Special

Hello folks,

The Goyt Valley 5 is a 5 mile Fell race, with about a third of the course on road, and two thirds on tough off road terrain around the scenic Errwood Reservoir in the Peak District. The reservoir has the honour of providing my home town with water! It is held each year as a fund raiser for Buxton Mountain rescue. Quick results below...

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Time Position

34.16 20 out of 60

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After having to drastically cut my running back due to my back injury it was good to get going again and compete in a race. 5 miles wouldn't be the most challenging race distance wise, but as I've already learnt, its the terrain and conditions that are the biggest factor. There was a few other Stockport Harriers there as well as many Wilmslow Running Club members. I decided my aim was to let as few of the Wilmslow runners as possible finish ahead of me for a bit of local rivalry.

The race started at Errwood Reservoir Sailing club and went across the dam and down a road running next to it. I was feeling very strong at this stage and had a good placing. I was a reasonable distance ahead of Brian (a Stockport Harrier) who I'd recently finished ahead of in the Bramhall Park 5K which was an milestone result for me as I wouldn't have had a chance a year ago.

As I hit the off road section the old flash backs of Shepherds Skyline came back as the difficulty increased. The first part was in a forrest and the ground was very uneven with some short steep climbs and some boggy patches. As I descended into a small valley I slipped and somehow managed to surf down the final section before using the momentum to throw me upright at the bottom. It looked like an excellent recovery, but was completely on instinct and I have no idea if I could pull it off again. The climb out of the valley though was a killer, and at the top there was no relief as we hit the open moor with boggy uneven exposed ground.

The moor section was really tough with my stride length constantly having to change and my rhythm being constantly disrupted. I began to tire quickly and slow and a couple of people overtook me, and then my marker of Brian overtook me! He looked fairly fresh and it was obvious that even with 2 miles to go I'd never catch him. It just goes to show how different these Fell races are and how you need to specifically train for them.

I clung on to my position as hard as I could but a couple more people overtook me, but when a Wilmslow RC chap overtook me I though "It ends now". I knew I had no chance of overtaking him on the rough off road section, but I knew the approach to the finish line was on a downhill road, home turf for me. I kept the Wilmslow running chap just in sight and as I hit the downhill road I hit the turbo and managed to catch him up and overtook him on the last bend before the line. To be honest I felt a little bit of a cheat overtaking someone that close to the line, as he had deserved to finish ahead, and if it wasn't for a downhill road I would never have caught him up, but I consoled myself with the fact that you can only race the course put in front of you.

Overall this was a tough race but very enjoyable. I'd like to thank Wilmslow Running club for organising it and Buxton Mountain Rescue for manning the course and watching over us whilst we ran around the area.

Cheers

Andy

Iceland

Hello,

I recently went on a holiday to Iceland and what a great holiday it turned out to be! If you’re able to get over the price of things over there it really is a great place to visit. We were lucky though as it was summer and so the Sun never really set and the darkest it got was dusk for half an hour or so. I saw some fantastic sites like the waterfalls of Gulfoss and Godafoss and some geysers including the original Geysir!

However this is a jogblog, so what about my jogging? Well it was a record setting holiday for me on the running front.

The first run I managed was along the harbour front with the mighty Esja mountain dominating the view. It was a lovely run, with the sun shinning and a slight breeze. The map is below with a photo of Esja too. My two travelling companions know me well enough not to bat an eye lid now when it comes to me and running, but it caused some surprise to our Canadian room mate in our hostel who was far to sensible to bring running gear on holiday with him!

The second run I managed was up a hill I do not know the name of. This hill was behind the hostel we were staying in near Akureyri. Anton, a seasoned hiker, reliably informed me it would take about 20 minutes to walk up, I was a little suspicious but bowed to his superior experience in this field. I set off up the hill and for the first 6 minutes or so I managed something akin to running given the conditions, after which I looked up and was no where near the top! After this I was reduced to a fast hike and made good progress, but after 20 minutes there was still a fair bit left. I turned round and saw Anton half way down the slope after having set off 5 minutes before me and it was at this point I realised the size of this challenge had been underestimated. Make no mistake, this was one steep slope, and in parts got about as steep as slope could go whilst still being able to walk it. It was about 2.2 kilometres to the top, and it took me 34 minutes, a real thigh burner! At the top was a cairn and having conquered this peak I felt it was only right to contribute and added a stone, did a Rocky pose (from Rocky IV at the top of the mountain in Russia) and then came down which was thankfully quicker, though still hard. This constituted the most Northerly run I’ve ever done with the highest latitude of 65°49'2.33"N

The next record I set was my most Northerly lap of a 400 metre athletic track (I’m sad I know!) at a town called Sauðárkrókur at roughly 65°44'43.24"N. I managed an OK 1 minute and 11 seconds, but I wasn’t in running gear, and hadn’t done any warming up so that would add a few seconds on.

My last run was along the harbour front again back in Reykjavik and helped round off a brilliant holiday.

In short, Iceland is a great to place to visit during the summer if you like outdoor type holidays and I recommend it if you get the chance, but don't expect to drink to many beers!

Cheers

Andy