Hi! - Walker turned runner(?)

Hi,

My name's Joe and I've just joined the forum.

I've got quite into long-distance walking over the last year or so. I have completed the Dovedale Dipper, Nine Edges, Wilmot Wander, Charnwood Marathon and Three Shires.
This culminated last month when a group of us completed the Welsh 3000's. We finished (summit to summit) in 15.5 hours, and raised more than £1200 for MRT in the process.
A lot of my training for this was running, near where I live at the south end of the Peak District.

So now I've got the running bug, really, and I am now looking to migrate what were walking challenges into (slow) running challenges.
I've signed up for the Nine Edges again this year - this time as a runner! So I'm working towards this now in my training. I'd be quite happy to get across the 20 mile course in around the 4 hour mark.

I have my eye on the 2012 Four Inns, but I don't really know anyone that I could form a team with. None of my challenge walking buddies are interested in upping their game to running. - I need to get a couple of marathon distances under my belt this autumn.

I see there are lots of little fell races near where I live, and I must say I'm tempted.
The question is - do you have room for a chugger? I generally move along at 5.5 - 6mph when I'm running over hill and dale.
Is that a bit slow for fell running? Or do you have a full spectrum of abilities taking part in these short competitive races?

Cheers all,

Joe

If you average 6 mph in some of them, you'll win :). A good example is Borrowdale this weekend - a mere 17 miles and an approximate winning time of 2 hours 50. That said miles are harder in different places/races.

Welcome Joe.
Just turn out and see how you do but like stolly say's you will be well up in the race.

Oh, I doubt that!

I should be careful what I say! - Ignore the 5.5 - 6mph thing, let's just say I go slow*.

To put it another way, do you get some people coming off 5 mile courses in over an hour in these FRA things? (In the White Peak that is, not in the mountains).

*(On Tuesday, I suggested in another forum that I could probably run 10k in 50 minutes, some folk seemed to think that was quite quick, but I'd just picked a figure that seemed reasonable without really knowing. Anyway, last night I went and did 10k as fast as I could to find out - 54 minutes it turns out, and it was bloomin' hard work - and that was on a canal towpath, so perfectly flat!).

You'll not be last, not that that matters anyway. There are plenty of slower runners doing these races just for the enjoyment of being out there and competing with whoevers around you. The shorter races can feel a bit fast and furious but the longer ones tend to be a bit more sedate, at least thats my experience.

I see you are from the Peak District, can you recommend a suitable non-serious sub-10 miler for me to cut my teeth on?

The Dark Peak (one of the main Peak based FR clubs) have a calendar here http://www.dpfr.org.uk/#calendar and there's also the Hayfield site here http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~temples/hc/ and Totley here http://www.totleyac.org.uk/cands2011.htm which should cover most of the northern peak.

I can thouroughly recomend the Stanage Struggle http://www.stanagestruggle.co.uk at 6 and bit miles.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Joester

I see you are from the Peak District, can you recommend a suitable non-serious sub-10 miler for me to cut my teeth on?

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Where in the Peak are you based, The trunce is a good little regular race so you can check your progress., Also check out the accelerate series(gritstone series).

Hey up Joe

Go for it. Lots of Fell runners come from walking and climbing backgrounds. I started out doing challenge walks then ended up fell running too.

Some of the shorter races can be fast and furious but there are plenty of plodders (me included) at the back of the field.

For long distance runs you could try the Long Distance Walkers Association. Lots of their events allow runners to enter. http://www.ldwa.org.uk/challenge_events/events_list.php

Have Fun

The longer events tend to be more social, in that you'll probably end up in a little group of people all travelling at much the same speed after a few miles. Most people are really only racing themselves towards the back half of the field. That's not to say short races aren't social, but the pace is such that talking during the run is at a minimum; the social bit seems to be before and after the race, in my limited experience of shorter events.