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Thread: Roaches

  1. #541
    Senior Member RaceTheSweeper's Avatar
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    Race 38 of 50@50 - After a 6 week enforced injury rest MrRTS is back on track. Few photos here for anyone that would like one. No obligation but if you wish to make a small donation to the Thomas Theyer Foundation from as little as £2 please follow the link https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Nigel-Jeff . To see the reason Nigel is raising money for this amazing charity please watch the video https://vimeo.com/234855480 If you would like the high quality original with none of the writing on please message me your e-mail quoting the file number bottom left, Well done everyone. Thank you to the organisers, helpers & super marshals. Even Beau Dog came to cheer you all on with his poorly paw.

    Photo links from the Roaches 2017 ��


    https://photos.app.goo.gl/dTN0fu6kSZI0rUf13 - set 1



    https://photos.app.goo.gl/HCTzNtrpAID6nwKR2 - set2



    https://photos.app.goo.gl/Sdp84KCtDRaY7xI32 - set 3


    https://photos.app.goo.gl/WcChi75UIrTSFK0f2 set 4


    https://photos.app.goo.gl/qUmAqZLiW9PNcPqr1 set 5

  2. #542
    Master Travs's Avatar
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    On this absolutely rock-solid race tomorrow. After doing xc today, am planning to start at the back of the field and treat it as a bit of a training run, and hopefully pick my way through the field. Despite that, I'm hoping that in the two years since I've done this race, I've improved enough to still hit a pb.

    Good luck anyone else there tomorrow.

  3. #543
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    I was going to do it but I’ve the kids This weekend

  4. #544
    Master Travs's Avatar
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    Great turnout today, I haven't seen results but I think people were saying it may have been a record field.

    Thought conditions were good.... I.e hard going as always, but I've seen a lot worse at this race.

    Felt pretty heavy-legged after a big effort at the XC yesterday, so took a bit of advice received from Athers of this forum, and started at the very back of the field, and went off treating it like a training run. Despite the very leisurely start, turning an ankle descending off the Roaches, and a comedic crossing of the river (went in up to my chest), I reached Shitlingsloe summit in 1:25, which is 5mins faster than previous.

    With plenty left in the tank, I gunned the second half of the race... yesterday's efforts only really showing in a lack of pace down the final couple of miles... and was rewarded with a pb by 15 mins, finishing in 2:42..... I believe around 64th place.... that sort of time is usually good for top 40, so it was a credit to the turnout and high standard today that I was only 3 places higher than last time, despite a 15 minute improvement.

    Not sure who won, but the front 4 were very closely packed coming down the road below Shutlingsloe...

    I guess I've just got stronger over the past couple of years.... what in 2016 was max effort, is slower than what is now a sustainable grind.

    Great race as always... always seems more akin to a very tough and very hilly XC course, rather than a pure Fell Race. Marshalls and spectators out in force. It really is a test of physical and mental strength.

    Hello to NickHam. You're right about it being tough to maintain the pace needed throughout the full 15 miles.

  5. #545
    Quote Originally Posted by Travs View Post
    Great turnout today, I haven't seen results but I think people were saying it may have been a record field.

    Thought conditions were good.... I.e hard going as always, but I've seen a lot worse at this race.

    Felt pretty heavy-legged after a big effort at the XC yesterday, so took a bit of advice received from Athers of this forum, and started at the very back of the field, and went off treating it like a training run. Despite the very leisurely start, turning an ankle descending off the Roaches, and a comedic crossing of the river (went in up to my chest), I reached Shitlingsloe summit in 1:25, which is 5mins faster than previous.

    With plenty left in the tank, I gunned the second half of the race... yesterday's efforts only really showing in a lack of pace down the final couple of miles... and was rewarded with a pb by 15 mins, finishing in 2:42..... I believe around 64th place.... that sort of time is usually good for top 40, so it was a credit to the turnout and high standard today that I was only 3 places higher than last time, despite a 15 minute improvement.

    Not sure who won, but the front 4 were very closely packed coming down the road below Shutlingsloe...

    I guess I've just got stronger over the past couple of years.... what in 2016 was max effort, is slower than what is now a sustainable grind.

    Great race as always... always seems more akin to a very tough and very hilly XC course, rather than a pure Fell Race. Marshalls and spectators out in force. It really is a test of physical and mental strength.

    Hello to NickHam. You're right about it being tough to maintain the pace needed throughout the full 15 miles.
    Keep up the good work Pete.
    Darren Fishwick, Chorley.

  6. #546
    Master Travs's Avatar
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    Cheers Daz….. perhaps see you up at Lee Mill Relays, or Nine Standards...

  7. #547
    Quote Originally Posted by Travs View Post
    Cheers Daz….. perhaps see you up at Lee Mill Relays, or Nine Standards...
    See you at lee mills pal
    Darren Fishwick, Chorley.

  8. #548
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    Quote Originally Posted by Travs View Post
    Despite the very leisurely start, turning an ankle descending off the Roaches, and a comedic crossing of the river (went in up to my chest), I reached Shitlingsloe summit in 1:25, which is 5mins faster than previous.
    Ah yes, the River Dane crossing at the Roaches Race: scene of one of my scariest fell-running moments. I slipped, and although I somehow managed to prevent myself going right into the water, it completely unnerved me. So then I just stood there, in the middle of the river, for I don't know how long, but I would estimate at least 30 seconds, maybe more than a minute. I didn't start moving until someone who knew me shouted some friendly abuse at me as he came past.
    In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
    Jorge Luis Borges

  9. #549
    Master Travs's Avatar
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    The river crossing wasn't even very high this year... i took that as a sign to try and sprint across it, somehow ending in there up to my chest. The following 15mins over those breezy moorlands and fields were particularly uncomfortable.

    Even the slurry was almost non-existent this year.

  10. #550
    Master BritNick's Avatar
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    Travs, thanks for the shout-out as you breezed past me within the first few hundred yards (yeah, I always start too near the front, unbefitting my diminishing ability which never was much even when it was good).

    Well, it had been 7 years since I last ran this, previous times being after having run Six Dales Circuit the day before (LDWA event, 26 miles in the Derbyshire Dales). With only a piddling little parkrun in the legs I was hoping to not get a PW this time. Come the first stile queue at 1 mile or so I was glad of the breather. This didn't bode well. I waited in excited anticipation for the slurry farm to appear but it never did. Either it's received an upgrade or we follow a different out-and back route.

    As we climbed towards The Roaches I could only walk when previously I have run. Tentative tottering continued along the ridge to avoid any clumsy trips or falls. On the descent through Gradbach woods as I followed a lady with red (yes, really red) hair, my right foot slipped down the slope and I fell sideways, steadying myself with my left hand. Soreness ensued. I looked down and saw blood running down my thumb, mixing and mingling with the mud and general filth and corruption thereon. The river crossing couldn't come soon enough to give it a good rinse and reveal a large flap of skin hanging off.

    The route up the other side was different to when I last used to run this. We go back on ourselves then straight up the hill to the road to turn left down it before veering right up the long grassy track (I didn't remember that bit at all). It must be a longer way round.

    The first group of front-runners came back in the opposite direction well before I reached the road crossing, much earlier than ever before. Perhaps they were faster, perhaps I was slower. I suspected the latter. Not long after that, fellow Glossopdale Harriers Tim Budd, Andy Oliver then Mark Davenport ran past. It would be a long time before I would be running back in that direction to bring up a very distant club rear (something sounds not quite right there but you know what I mean).

    Race Organiser Geoff Pettengell was helping to serve the drinks as I began my trudge up towards Shutlingsloe. I was self-sufficient with my handheld bottles as usual so didn't need to avail myself of his services. I did take another photo though (any excuse for a rest).

    The wind blew strongly on the summit. I pitied the marshals up there who were taking our numbers. Turning into the wind I headed for the descent, overtaking Lady Red Hair again on the way down. My memory card filled up on the climb to the road crossing. I enjoyed another 30 seconds' rest as I searched for rejects to delete to make more space, then I was on my way again. I was running down the field towards the river crossing when Lady Red Hair caught up again. She asked for my steadying hand to help her across the river. "Certainly" I said. I was probably glad of a bit of support myself, not to mention another excuse to stop trying to race.

    Once across the other side she was off like a rocket. I watched her disappear up the hill, picking off another trudger as she went. I was beyond caring and in survival mode. The food I had been eating wasn't doing much for me (as usual). Back up on the roaches the teetering and the tottering was slower than before. I filled my memory card for the final time. Ultra-runner extraordinaire Steven Jones of Dark Peak breezed past as we began our descent from the Roaches ridge, then it was a case of holding on to the finish and an exhausted recovery sit-down outside as I tried to untangle my shoe laces (thanks to the lady who offered help with that conundrum).

    Final time 3:33:58, PW, bottom 19.1% of finishers, bottom 20% in M55 category, bottom 12.4% of males (that's the real clincher right there). As I walked to the car feeling miffed at my inadequacy, Lady Red Hair thanked me for helping her across the river. My day suddenly felt more worthwhile.

    Photos to follow when I have uploaded them.

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