Beginner to fell running

[Thumbcandy]

Hi there. I've been perusing the FRA forums for some weeks now, having signed up earlier this year for the Yorkshireman marathon. I note there are a few people from further south, London and Portsmouth and whatnot, but still I am prepared for a bit of abuse (and hopefully some friendly tips/banter) for the following post.

I signed up for the Yorkshireman having never run any competitive race except for 3 trail 10Ks.

There are lots of reasons why: 1) mid-life crisis. Actually, probably not, but it's an excuse. 2) I've been on the planet for 43 years and I've *never* liked running until late 2011 when I was introduced to trails, and to say my horizons were expanded would be a wild understatement. I now regularly visit the North Downs way for a good run, longest around 16 miles, usually a spot of exploration to get off the beaten track and see what I can find (llamas, naked campers, horses spraying me with poo, and so on). I LOVE IT. If I go longer than a week without a crack-of-dawn plod around a boggy trail I get down. The best thing that I've ever done for recreation. 3) I wanted to do a marathon. That's what started me thinking about running, then did a triathlon, then the 10Ks in Jan/Feb/March this year, then a road half marathon for family reasons (I don't really like road running, unless Wile-E-Coyote is involved), then a charity tri and British 10K this summer. I wanted to do a marathon but prefer trails, so did some research - and found the YORM. Liked the sound of it (particularly 'runners are requested to carry a mug', the Britishness of this I really liked), so I signed up without thinking too much about it.

Now having done the half my training has turned to the Yorkshireman, and I'm planning to use the tri and 10K races as training sessions for it. I have mixed feelings of thrill and apprehension when I read about fell running on these forums. Thrill because of the challenge that awaits me, and the beautiful and no doubt treacherous countryside that I'll experience; but apprehension because I know very little about fells, I don't know yet if or how quickly I'll be able to get around the course, I haven't yet run with a pack/bladder (and I plan to), and I don't know if I can read a map while running. I've been walking in Yorkshire and the Lake District but not for 20-odd years. My trail running has taken in all sorts of surfaces and conditions (one of the races was at 8am in early January, -6 degrees, and the Feb one was on thick snow), but generally there is a trail. I can't really find a definition, but I assume the biggest difference between trail and fell running is that with the latter there's not always an obvious trail, would that be about right?

So, I think and hope I'll be welcome, I hope you guys don't think I'm an idiot for thinking I can do this, I hope I don't make a fool of or injure myself, and I hope I enjoy it as much as I think I'm going to. I can't wait, but I know I've got a lot of work to do between now and September 9th to get ready.

Thanks for reading!
Andy

PS - Finally, the timing is awful - as my wife and son go see a paralympic event the night before, so the planned family trip to come support me is no longer on the cards, so I'll be travelling up alone - and I guess bringing a tent!

[mattp]

Now having done the half my training has turned to the Yorkshireman, and I'm planning to use the tri and 10K races as training sessions for it. I have mixed feelings of thrill and apprehension when I read about fell running on these forums. Thrill because of the challenge that awaits me, and the beautiful and no doubt treacherous countryside that I'll experience; but apprehension because I know very little about fells, I don't know yet if or how quickly I'll be able to get around the course, I haven't yet run with a pack/bladder (and I plan to), and I don't know if I can read a map while running. I've been walking in Yorkshire and the Lake District but not for 20-odd years. My trail running has taken in all sorts of surfaces and conditions (one of the races was at 8am in early January, -6 degrees, and the Feb one was on thick snow), but generally there is a trail. I can't really find a definition, but I assume the biggest difference between trail and fell running is that with the latter there's not always an obvious trail, would that be about right?

Hi Andy. Have to confess to not knowing much about the Yorkshireman ORM but if you're running 16 mile for a long run each week then you're not far off. Sounds like you're enjoying it which is the main thing.


Have you had a chance to come up and do some running in the dales or a recce?


There's loads of advice on here about gear and packs etc. For me a big part of fell running is the route choice and the ability to get away from marked paths onto wilder ground. I've benefited from joining a club with more experienced members who can show you good training routes to push your boundaries. Might me worthwhile if you haven't already done so?

[plodding bear]

I think you'll also find that unless you're at the front of the field, virtually everybody walks bits as well. It isn't like the London marathon!
Whereabouts near the Downs are you? I lived dahn sahf for many years and did a lot of mountain biking down that way -Queen Elizabeith Country Park, Kingley Vale and around that area. I think you'll find the steep face of the downs escarpment an adequate preparation for anything you'll find on the Yorkshireman!
Keighley and Craven (the club that put on the Yorkshireman) do recce runs nearer the time, for a variety of fitness levels so if you can get up for a weekend that might be a good option.

[protodoc]

Welcome to the fells thumb candy! At present it sounds like you're more of a trail runner but also that is about to change. Prepare for another epiphany because once you've run up and down a fell or two you'll find trails a lot less challenging. Runners and in particular fell runners are a big happy family and no one will think you're a numpty for asking questions, the only thing poorly tolerated is lack of respect for fellow runners/forumites. Hope you have a good race.

[FarFromTheFells]

Hi Andy

glad to see another 'suvverner' on here. I regularly run on NDW, usually in the Detling/Hollingbourne area as that's probably the lumpiest section (and if I really push it for a mega long run can do some of it from my house). I also occasionally run from Shoreham (the one near the M20/25) with my club - Cambridge Harriers. The club do a fell-running championship each year, attending at least 8 races, including Long Mynd, Borrowdale, Ben Nevis, and others across the country and of course all the southeastern races (Surrey Hills, Isle Of Wight, etc).

So you're not alone as a suvverner, and let me know if you want to run out on the NDW one Sunday if you want company !

Good luck with your training.

Cheers
Chris

[London Standard]

Hello Andy

I'm currently dahn sarf in London, and have only run in a handful of races, but for what it's worth I'd say you've got nothing to worry about. If you're enjoying running in beautiful surroundings and/or knee deep in muck then you'll have a ball fell running. My main apprehension before the my first event was whether I could keep up with the pack, but what I've found is that every race attracts such a wide range of runners that there will always be someone you can keep up with.
And everyone I've met has been friendly and encouraging.

You'll be fine mate

[Thumbcandy]

That all sounds wonderful, thanks all for replying. I'm slightly overwhelmed - I've been regularly checking for replies since my post and nothing has shown up, and now 5 show up - apparently from the last two days! So I'll be checking my browser cache and also checking out the replies in more detail tomorrow. Fantastic that there are a few people on here with experience of the Downs, and that they seem to at least be preparation for the hills I'm likely to expect. I went out on Horsell Common tonight (near Woking, where the Martians landed in War of the Worlds) for a quick 5-miler, because the terrain in and around the woods there is really mixed - from thickets, ferns and heather to fairly deep patches of mud and horse muck, lots of fallen trees to hurdle and plenty of places to go off-trail. First time there and really enjoyable, but yes - I twisted my ankle!

Mattp/plodding bear, yes I plan to come up beforehand at least once and recce the route. I had a lovely private IM from a member who offered to show me some of the route, and also by chance I was talking with my next-door neighbour who has relatives a few miles from Haworth, and they've offered to put me up in their spare room. I also found out a few things about Haworth - not only the link with the Bronte sisters, but also seemingly it's twinned with Machu Picchu!

Farfromthefells - I think you're quite a way from me, but maybe we can meet halfway for a cuppa and some cake The various races sound good. I only picked the Yorkshireman because it sounded interesting, slightly eccentric and beautiful, so I'll be on the lookout for more next year. Out of curiosity, how do you run for Cambridge if you're local to Kent?

Thanks again to you all for replying and making me feel welcome. I can't wait to get going now.

Cheers,
Andy

[Thumbcandy]

Oh, PS - ploddingbear, I'm near Woking, so my nearest NDW escape is Newlands Corner near Guildford. The one with St Martha's Hill, a steep (by trail standards) hill with a handy graveyard on top

My other half has a half-marathon at the Queen Elizabeth Park in two weeks' time, we've been down there a couple of times to recce the place. Pushing my 2-year-old up those hills in a pram is some kinda training, but I'm not sure what for! I haven't run it yet, but I will at some point - it's lovely down there.

[plodding bear]

Thumbcandy, I tended to cycle loops along the South Downs heading west so not too familiar (ie not at all!) with the north downs. Next time you're at QECP, have a run up Butser hill. If you make it up in one go, you're doing fine! Are you a fast runner, or a plodder like my good self? If you fancy a plod round, let us know when you come up, I'm sure we can sort out a bit of a recce.

[mike1967]

Hi Andy,
loved the Ossy Oiks thanks-will definitely be back for more-a really good atmosphere with friendly people )

I had only done the Great North run in the past, and struggled to get the motivation to do much running on roads. I joined a local running club that has a regular off road group. I started off at the end of Feb, running in a group on an evening with headtorches in the dark...brilliant (if you like that sort of thing)!

I'm doing the Lakeland trails marathon at the beginning of July, and until six weeks ago had never gone further than 13 miles. I joined some people training for the Swaledale marathon and have now got up to running 20-23 miles off road. So i hope my marathon will be ok!
I've been running with an hydration rucksack recently on training runs and it's been quite comfy..

Good luck with your training.

Mike