Peak District beginner

[caity]

Hi folks, what a great forum. I've just moved to Manchester, never lived in 'the north' before, and I want to make the most of having the Peaks just a stone's throw away. I've been a road runner for a couple of years and just did my first marathon in 4hrs. I want to get into off-road running because I'd love to one day enter an ultra race, which is almost guaranteed to have a fair bit of off road, and because the views are better! I want to build up to 3hr+ runs like I do on road, but initially navigation, when I'm tired and wet, will be the big challenge. Oh, and probably the hills!

If anyone had any newbie route suggestions, or books with suggested routes, I'd love to hear. Lastly if anyone near me was interested in a running buddy, albeit a slow one especially up hills(!), do get in touch. I'd love to plan some challenges and days out. Thanks.

[Dynamo Dan]

Hi folks, what a great forum. I've just moved to Manchester, never lived in 'the north' before, and I want to make the most of having the Peaks just a stone's throw away. I've been a road runner for a couple of years and just did my first marathon in 4hrs. I want to get into off-road running because I'd love to one day enter an ultra race, which is almost guaranteed to have a fair bit of off road, and because the views are better! I want to build up to 3hr+ runs like I do on road, but initially navigation, when I'm tired and wet, will be the big challenge. Oh, and probably the hills!

If anyone had any newbie route suggestions, or books with suggested routes, I'd love to hear. Lastly if anyone near me was interested in a running buddy, albeit a slow one especially up hills(!), do get in touch. I'd love to plan some challenges and days out. Thanks.

Hi Caity, you should come along for a run with Pennine on a Thursday night. We meet in the car park of the Royal in Hayfield at 7pm and cater for all abilities. A fair few of us, myself included live in Manchester/Stockport. If you want a bit more information about us have a look at our blog: http://penninefellrunners.co.uk/wordpress/ or our website: www.penninefellrunners.co.uk

Don't worry about being left behind or anything like that, we're a very friendly club and always look out for new folk on a Thursday night.

[wormstone]

Hi Caity - Or you could come along to Glossopdale Harriers for a fell run. We run on Tuesday and Thursday's, offering an A, B and sometimes/as required a C run. A few members live in Manchester and catch the train to get Glossop Leisure Centre for 7pm (and then drive to start of the run). We are really friendly too! Details of runs on our website:

www.glossopdale.org.uk

[DazTheSlug]

caity - Welcome To Manchester!

go to Lyme Park and run up to Bowstones
go to Bollington and crawl up to White Nancy then along the Kerridge ridge
go to Hayfield and make your way up to Kinder Downfall

you are doomed! (in a good way)

[cyclops]

Hi folks, what a great forum. I've just moved to Manchester, never lived in 'the north' before, and I want to make the most of having the Peaks just a stone's throw away. I've been a road runner for a couple of years and just did my first marathon in 4hrs. I want to get into off-road running because I'd love to one day enter an ultra race, which is almost guaranteed to have a fair bit of off road, and because the views are better! I want to build up to 3hr+ runs like I do on road, but initially navigation, when I'm tired and wet, will be the big challenge. Oh, and probably the hills!

If anyone had any newbie route suggestions, or books with suggested routes, I'd love to hear. Lastly if anyone near me was interested in a running buddy, albeit a slow one especially up hills(!), do get in touch. I'd love to plan some challenges and days out. Thanks.

Hi Caity,

welcome to fell running....which also involves walking up the hills (much to my relief when I started a year ago!). I joined Glossopdale Harriers and can vouch for them being a friendly bunch....its usually me who gets a C group going (A being fast/long, B being a shorter/slower)....C was for me a way to transition from just running alone to getting out and pushing myself a bit, meeting other runners. I'd be happy to join you for an easy slow run - I tend to run with the club on Tuesdays so just drop me a line if you want to join us.

my only advice apart from joining a club, would be to just get out and run. if yr worried about navigation then do out-and-back routes on well defined paths to start with. there are courses you can go on designed specifically for runners.

Lynne

[Rookie]

Welcome

Endless possibilities around Manchester (north, south and east). In addition to the clubs mentioned already :wink: there is also my club Altrincham & District (mainly road and track tbh but also has a small 'fell' section and alternative Thursday evening runs in the Peaks). I guess it depends where you are based and how far you want to travel. I cannot speak for the others, but I suspect all clubs will be completely relaxed about joining in whether you are a member or not, so try them all!

In respect of routes, there are also endless possibilities that are well suited to nuddging up your milages and climbing over time (my 2012 objective) . If you are a nervous about navigation look up some of the medium race routes such as Roaches, Windgather Rocks, Kinder Downfall, Winterhill or Edale Skyline :w00t: (not a medium but can be easily broken down into sections) - all are pretty obvious on the ground. Any section of the well signed Gritstone Trail (runs south from Disley) will also give you a good run out if you don't want to venture onto the open moors around Kinder etc... just yet.

Enjoy!

[caity]

Thanks for all this great info, I appreciate everyone's time to write it, nice to hear from you all. Sounds like joining a club would be a good option, how to decide though?! I might give a few of them a try if that's not considered wrong! I'm near Old Trafford. Glossop training appeals if I can get the train from town straight after work, I have a car but cycle to work, so by the time I'm home and picked up the car, and sat in traffic... I can hopefully make next Thursday (away on tues unfortunately, but the following week should be ok). Can a small bag be left in the leisure centre?

Will check out those route suggestions, good idea to look up race routes, and try out-and-backs. I was on Kinder last weekend walking, and then climbing at Windgather and loved it, definitely want to get out there running. Lynne - hope to meet you sometime with the club, I'm around some weekends as well so if you ever want a slow partner let me know. Thanks everyone, please keep any other thoughts coming.

[DrPatrickBarry]

A work colleague and I both run on Thursday nights with Pennine. Our office is in Trafford Park. You would need to allow for an hours traveling time to get to Hayfield from that part of Manchester. I would assume Glossop would not be much different . I have been with Pennine 3 years now and pig sick that I did not join much earlier. Best thing I ever done, they have lifted me to a new level as regards my fitness and running ability on the rough ground.

[Joester]

Hi Caity, you should come along for a run with Pennine on a Thursday night. We meet in the car park of the Royal in Hayfield at 7pm and cater for all abilities. A fair few of us, myself included live in Manchester/Stockport. If you want a bit more information about us have a look at our blog: http://penninefellrunners.co.uk/wordpress/ or our website: www.penninefellrunners.co.uk

Don't worry about being left behind or anything like that, we're a very friendly club and always look out for new folk on a Thursday night.

Hi Dan,

Could I join you all for this sometime soon? Who is the best person to contact to let know? Are there several ability-based routes available, or do you all go out en-mass and just go at different speeds?

[DrPatrickBarry]

Hi Dan

Is it Dan from Pennine you are referring to?

If so, you just show up in the Hotel Carpark just before 7pm on Thursday nights. It has gone a bit mad the last year with the number of new runners that are showing up, its great! Typically there would be 15 to 25 people out and we usually all start of together. A subset of the faster runners would then tend to pull away and do their own thing. You can decide for yourself which group is more suited to your speed.

1:20 run from 7:10 to 8:30 would be typical

Most of us then pile into the pub afterwards.