ps - interesting that Billy's Borrowdale record is about the same as his marathon time - my marathon best is an hour and a half faster than my Borrowdale best
ps - interesting that Billy's Borrowdale record is about the same as his marathon time - my marathon best is an hour and a half faster than my Borrowdale best
Totally with you on the Dalehead warning Stumpy!Originally Posted by stumpy
Charlie - just sent you a couple of PMs with some route tips gathered from others a few years ago which came in useful for me.
As a fellow soft southerner, my only advice would be to set off nice and steady and try and save a bit for the ascent of Dale Head, and even more importantly, the descent back down through the quarry - it's is very steep and very hard when tired!! It's all to easy to get carried away in the cavalry charge along the lane at the start. Set out with the aim of enjoying it and you will probably do a better time than if you try to race it!
Last time I did it my kids and Mrs managed to entertain themselves by heading up to Honister Pass. It's a good place for them to come and see you as they will be able to get back to Rosthwaite in time (unless you are super quick!). Pretty miserable for them if its pelting down mind, in which case the Keswick pencil museum might be the thing
Oh, and one last tip - the cheese sarny and cup of tea in the Rosthwaite Institute after the race will be the best thing you have ever eaten
I managed my only ever Down Hill Bonk coming through the quarries. When I got to the stile at the bottom I simply could not cock my leg up far enough to get over! I was reduced to a whining, twitching obstacle till the next kindly runner came along and pushed me over!
And +1 on the tea and sarnie at Rossthwaite. Somewhere, I have the photographic evidence.
Simon Blease
Monmouth
Thanks again guys, I'm absolutely lapping up this advice, and am going to spend a good bit of time route-planning those details. Very decent and generous of you to help me out by passing on these pearls of wisdom.
Pace-wise, after some early blow-ups, I pride myself these days on being super even-paced in a marathon -- but won't have a clue how to tackle the pace in this. Obviously any race feels beguilingly easy from the off, but I guess there's also the factor of the climbing muscles getting a bit of a rest on the downhills and vice versa, though they overlap of course. Will just have to run to feel I guess, and not forget that it's a serious endurance event...
We came down through the quarry on a family walk last year. Sounds positively suicidal racing down it, but hey, I'm in!
Id echo the sentiments about going steady from the off, im a similar marathoner to you, but that dwindles into insignificance when faced with a technical AL fell race, as you obviously well appreciate. Sit back and let the front lads get on with it even if you find it easy to go with them early doors, enjoy the run out and the last hour if you're feeling good, put the hammer down!
I'm so looking forward to this race.
Downhill? Until allen crags, it feels like an energy sapping continuous uphill bog: After that it is just uphill!Thanks again guys, I'm absolutely lapping up this advice, and am going to spend a good bit of time route-planning those details. Very decent and generous of you to help me out by passing on these pearls of wisdom.
Pace-wise, after some early blow-ups, I pride myself these days on being super even-paced in a marathon -- but won't have a clue how to tackle the pace in this. Obviously any race feels beguilingly easy from the off, but I guess there's also the factor of the climbing muscles getting a bit of a rest on the downhills and vice versa, though they overlap of course. Will just have to run to feel I guess, and not forget that it's a serious endurance event...
We came down through the quarry on a family walk last year. Sounds positively suicidal racing down it, but hey, I'm in!
If you are knackered by esk hause, you are in for a long day: If you are on a good one, it should feel fairly easy to steady until the climb from sty head, then dig in and overtake a line of dead men walking who overcooked it. Dalehead will have grown at least 2000 feet bigger than you remember it, by the time you get there..
Check out the bearings (eg from dalehead- good grassy run if you know where to look in an anticlockwise arc, green gable etc) before you do it, by that time you can be alone and in clag.
But the worst bit? I reckon the flat mile at the end.
Green with envy. Wish my knee would let me...
Mischevious note.
Someone I know once asked Billy B on the day of the race (must be well over ten years ago...) "is this a checkpoint race, or it is it a defined route".
Billy said "checkpoint race"...
OK said my mate, "then what stops me going backwards down this road, instead of over the bridge and that horrible stony track"
Billy scratched head said "well nothing I suppose, so long as you cross the start line first"
But despite several starts, I have never seen anyone actually do it!
Who wants to be guinea pig and test the wrath of a scoffer..invoking the magic words "well Billy said..."
PS same mate once did the (old defunct?) Rossendale AL race and ran down the road between two CP to avoid the deep tussocks coming back north, having asked the very same question (not me I hasten to add. And boy I hated those tussocks...).
Last edited by alwaysinjured; 01-07-2014 at 10:18 AM.
It's a good point. It would certainly be a lot faster. Even having made your way back through the line of runners going the other way. I suppose it's a busy road though, so it wouldn't go down well.
I think it would be a better race, if it was changed to that. I hate that first mile. If you leave a gap to see your feet someone pushes into it, and if you do not you are in danger of tripping. I have tripped, seen others trampled. ( so not the issue of the thread - but no way can scoffer comply with the rules on fileld size even.)
If they ran the other way, it would only cause problems for a few minutes, so I doubt if motorists would get upset. It would allow the field to spread out. Billys record would no longer be relevant, but since they changed the first climb ( for the better, I think, much better route ) it is no longer relevant anyway.
I have often wondered has anyone reccied a more direct route up to bessy boot heading south say 400m after leaving the road rather than more or less following the bank of combe gill before kicking up towards tarn at leaves, which is longer? Or is that path just permissive until you get to combe gill, so have to stay on route, are their walls that prevent you doing it?
Last edited by alwaysinjured; 01-07-2014 at 04:32 PM.
alwaysinjured -- I was just going to start poring over the maps and came back to this. On the route up to Bessyboot, the acceptance letter says "The route to Bessy Boot will be via Stonethwaite, through Chapel Farm and up Rottenstone Gill", so while there is no checkpoint, the instruction seems to be to go up at least towards Tarn at Leaves.
The first mile sounds a bit scary. I might be tempted to peg it a bit to stay out of trouble near the front for that, before easing back and waving goodbye to the leaders when we start climbing...
I'm a bit torn footwear-wise between my trusted older-style XTalon-212s (studs a little worn but not bad), or my pristine X-Talon 190s (perfect studs, lighter for better race speed, but maybe too thin on the rocks). Any views anyone?
I'd go for the extra cushioning Charlie. You'll really appreciate it over the rocks at the top of SP and coming down through the quarry!
After the first two miles flat lane, the route is then flagged, so presumably compulsory, until a fell gate at 252128 then it's up to you, but Dry Gill seems to be the most direct and the route that everyone takes. There'll still be plenty of folk around you here anyway.
Reply With Quote
