Salt Cellar

[DazTheSlug]

doesn't seem to be a thread for this one
I'm having tomorrow afternoon off work for this, so it had better be good! :wink:

[Zarch]

Hoping to get there myself too......

[PaulE]

Good luck tomorrow! I'd love to be racing as I can pretty much see the route from our attic, but I'll be at the hospital picking up my wife and 3 day old daughter.

[Red Threat]

You can see the route from your attic? You live in the Dambusters museum? Nice location ; )

Salt Cellar was fantastic tonight. Of all the short(-ish) races I've done in the Peak District I think this is the toughest (Edale is tough but shorter and there's only one proper climb). Omimous rumbles of thunder were sounding across Derwent Edge as we climbed towards a rainbow arching above Back Tor, but the rain held off. This route has so much variety - the first sharp climb, the mile pound along the flagstones to the Salt Cellar, bogs, crumbling single track, I especially enjoyed running through the forests of fern, felt like the speeder bike scene in Return of the Jedi And the killer is the final climb, 5 miles in when you've nothing left!

[Red Threat]

BTW - someone took a head camera around last year's race so you can get a flavour of the route, cool soundtrack too!

[Red Threat]

Doh! Here's the link now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo8DX...e_gdata_player

[Zarch]

WOW, what an introduction to this type of racing for me this was.

I was absolutely spent after that opening hill section that just kept on going. The elevation map on the website does not do it justice. Turned my ankle after about 2 miles, got a bit lost near the salt cellar rock (LOL), fell over about 5 times on that crumbling section and feared I was heading into the ravine god knows how many times.

Then that final climb, good grief. I welcomed the final flat section, got a bit of speed up, only to kick a rock and end up arse over tit in a heap. Saying that, dusted myself down and produced a decent finish I thought considering how I felt two miles in.

Watch said I came home in 1:15 which i'm pretty happy about.

Homework to take away from this, how the hell do people tackle (and train for) those hills? I had to walk every one. :thunbdown:

[lantern rouge]

Personally, as a plodder, improve by doing intervals and hill reps, but mainly by accepting the fact that I going to end up walking a bit....sometimes a lot!

A strong walk can see you passing folk who are still running.

I may be slow, but love it.

That's why I am up at stupid o'clock organising the Teggs Nose race.

Welcome aboard mate!

[DanTheDalesMan]

Wow what a race, unbelievable course, I think there are definetley some sadists among them with that final climb lol. But those descents and little ridge traversals were awesome!!

Big thanks to the organisers and marshals it really was a great race, I think probably the best race course I've done this year, loved it!!

But how the hell did we miss that thunderstorm?

[DazTheSlug]

Many Thanks to Steel City Striders for putting this on - great organisation, plenty of marshals plus plenty of cake/biccies at the finish :thumbup:

great setting for the route, start/finishing under the Derwent dam and going up nearly to Back Tor then down the ridge for a way
the contouring through deep bracken on a crumbling narrow trod with a steep drop-off was er... interesting - I only fell once, sliding into the ravine with the marshal ahead at the stream shouting "up here to me!" as though he thought I was intentionally trying to cut across!

agree that the rainbow/black cloud/thunder/lightning added to the drama, and amazed that we got away without a soaking!

I got there quite early, so went for a walk up onto Rowlee Pasture on the other side of the valley from the race route and took a few photos - might find a couple to post later...