Great Whernside

I'm always a little apprehensive before a race and I don't like running in areas I don't know when it's cloudy, so it was no surprise to see the clouds on the hills as I approached Kettlewell. I'm Jinxed!

On seeing the start line and the incline that it started upon, I was beginning to wonder if two shredded wheat were actually going to be enough to keep me going.

Off I went, full of energy, what a slog up that hill, it just seemed to go on and on, then eventually, exhausted, my legs shredded I made it out of the first field :eek:. The ground was really good under foot up to Hag Dyke, but then came the boggy ground. My first step into the water and I couldn't believe how cold it was. As I plodded on the leaders were heading back down, a few tumbles too, however it always amazes me the speed at which they get to the top. Luckily only a touch of cloud at the top. I'm afraid I didn't notice Rob Jebb at the top in fact I don't recall having the energy to even lift my head up and just remember somebody telling me to head round the back and back down.

The route down was great even with my brief beauty stop for a waist deep mud bath, although it served the guy behind me well knowing where to avoid. I did take extra care on the rocks coming down towards Hag Dyke (Losing a place here) but then had a cracking run on the good ground of the rest of the decent. Finished 83rd, my body screaming for a pint!

Thanks to the Marshalls. A cracking little race and one that is pencilled in for next year (31st October for those that didn't make it this time).

Great Race.....Tough slog all the way up (34 mins for me) but what a descent, 12mins of the best running ever! Including the 3 times I went knee deep in mud.:D
The pint in the pub wasn't bad either.

G...Dodo's can fly!:rolleyes:Sometimes

Thanks to Peejay, in fact all the 'jays' (is this is a record for highest number of relatives + partners helping at a race???) for another great race.

Cheers, Ali :)

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Originally Posted by NotOnUrHelly

Would it be wrong for a Lancashire man to say for his first visit to the Kettlewell/Bolton Abbey area of the dales that I was very impressed. I loved the little villages I passed through on my drive over especially the one with the chip shop in a shed (Cowling).

Really enjoyed the race its only my second fell race this year due to niggles and one thing and another. I had forgot how much I missed the whole scene.

After dragging my sorry backside up the ascent that seemed to go on forever. On which I seemed to lose loadsa places due to my overly keen fast start. I absoulety loved the descent nice soft and boggy at first then the short rocky steep bit that gottya concentrating again and then back to the lovely run in.

Thanks to Peejay and all helpers I had a great day out and will be racing over that way in the near future. Cheers also to Mister Derby Tup for accomodating me for the evening sorry about your Fat Head on Saturday morning from the Addingham pub crawl the night before.

Nice to meet Stagger and put a face to the name and well done to Stick and the Wharfedale team on winning the team prize.

Cheers
Jamie

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Glad you got your fish and chips Jamie!

Addingham pub crawl was fun (now then Big Compass) and time I'd got out of the first field my head had cleared a treat (I think the problem was mixing Yorkshire and Lancashire beers ;) )

See you at Xmas in t ' fells if not before :)

Andrew

Nice photos Stan. Thank you very much.:)

There are a few more photos on http://clayton-le-moors-harriers.co.uk - mainly clayton runners, but I did spot a few forumites and took a few random photos as I walked back down to the start finish area.

Looks like a cracking route which I'll have to have a go at next year

Nice ones Andy! :)

Cracking photos, really show all aspects of the route.
Many thanks:)

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Originally Posted by Stagger

Cracking photos, really show all aspects of the route.
Many thanks:)

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Totally agree Stagger - some lovely photos that really capture the flavour of the race :)

Yes, it's unusual to see a set that capture action shots from so many different phases of a race. Usually you get forty different people from a single viewpoint.