Complimented me as well and i was chuffed, shame my fan club are all blokes!
Was hoping to plod round in 8ish hours and plodded in in 7.15, chuffed with that, it was a warm un Norman. Thanks to all involved:thumbup:
Baked spud, chilli, cheese, 3 pints of Guinness, Prawn curry at home, ready to go round again...........................next year.
Last edited by stevefoster; 09-04-2011 at 07:56 PM.
Hills and Guinness!
Baildon Boundary way in the morning for me - dreading that long canal stretch
Coniv-8 not knowingly evidenced to improve performance
Anti-awfully sorry about the eloquent reply -in my defense you had challenged to me chase after Karen Nash " she's only a bit in front of you" on the final climb when I was still majorly suffering from heat, dizziness,headache, twisted intestines, reching, fluorescent orange diarrohea,sore feet, sunburn on top of recent frostbite(don't ask!!) and general knackeredness!!
I am usually very polite!! And you had offered to help me with any zipper malfunctions I might encounter again-you really didn't deserve the nasty bark I gave you!!
So, please accept my apologies and on the next meet I will be sweetness and light.
Great event and great that when you are suffering so many fellow forumites help you round-Splatcher I owe you big style. Never again!
Gala pie-its the future
Thanks to the organisers for another superb event. Loved the sunshine. Thanks to the Calder guy and Chris M who I parasited my way round with as I didnt have a clue where to go, and broke 6hrs
only 25 mins behind zlod so loadsa UC points
and chuffed to scalp simon D.
it will never be as dry underfoot as that again for this race, for us long of us are ever fit enough to compete. driest March since 1953 i think!
i was the eejut in the cycling top who only arrived 10 mins before the start and hadnt even paid yet, oops. thanks to the team for a speedy check in. i didnt even have time to tie up my shoelaces properly before we were off.
i was also the eejut who didnt turn left at the start as i was a quick starter, even tho i knew from this forum it wasnt the quickest route, and I auto-followed the berk who went right :x
wish i'd spent longer tying my laces now, as after thundering down that first insane hill, I had to stop and retie them. i figure that flowing downhill fast is a lesser evil than using your quads for braking.
from the Lumbutts? CP before Stoodley, who else turned right at that track and went up the long stone flagged walk directly up to Stoodley. Its not necess any longer a route and me and simon D went this way. but is was too steep to run at all so a slow powerwalk. not even much quicker than the walkers. but my point is that we were met the Stoodley CP by Chris M who had effectively overtaken us. reason being that the 'lowland' path is initially flat and runnable (and much faster), and then you take the hit and yomp straight up it like on the Hobble. i.e .flat then steep is faster than a long overall drag.
glad i didnt use road shoes tho it was so dry it was doable and wouldnt have been that much in it. i cant use low profile fell runner type shoes as i overpronate a lot, and at these distances, even off road i need proper support shoes. which are a relatively bit high up off the ground and wobbly. so i'd have poss just twisted my weak abused ankle more times in road shoes than just the couple of times that i did. the problem bits for road shoes would have been going over the tufty open moorland sections.
Er...well...no. I am now slower than you again. I struggled big time from the top of Stoodley Pike & shuffled the rest. 6:50, so I beat 7 hours. A bit cross with myself though, as I'd hoped to do a bit better, & I hate blowing up like that. Still, what a lovely day eh?
Andy Robinson
Runfurther committee member
Helsby Running Club
Yes what a great event, all credit to the organisers. Got round in 6-49 and was comfortable most of the way. It was my first time and I don't think I made the best route choice in two or three places otherwise I might have been a bit quicker - well thats my excuse anyway! I wore road shoes and didn't have any problems - there were a few rough wet bits where trail shoes would have been better but that was more than made up for in the cushioning my knees got on the miles of track and road. That's my third UC race so will be be putting my feet up (so to speak) until the Phoenix - let's hope the weather is as good.
Fantastic day out (although there were times I did not quite believe that). It seems I had my bad patch earlier than most (think perhaps I tried to eat and drink too much? normally I eat or drink very little, but thought I should in the heat)and when you all disappeared off into the distance before Long Causeway I felt bad enough to consder calling it a day, if I was struggling by then I reckoned I might not even make it round. Just as well I was on my own for the next bit as anyone listening would have said I was a right loony- telling myself to get a grip, enjoy the sun. stop feeling sorry for myself etc. Also managed to sneak a better line which I only realised when I looked behind me going up T Pike. Even then I thought I was kidding myself. Another good line down to the canal and the train let me be ahead at the checkpoint- the look on the face of Roy who i travelled with was a picture! Being back with you all (Andy, Roy and others)gave me hope and second wind so thanks. Being determined not to be beaten by Rachel or Roy also kept me going- and he had to slow down coz he didn't know the way! Last push was thanks to the young lad running the shorter course- everytime I wanted to stop I thought of my son and what we say about maximum effort. Could not beleive I had beaten lastt years time. Another great event. Thanks marshalls.
Pics from Stoodley Pike are at www.sportsunday.co.uk