Re: UKA British Fell & Hill Re
Many thanks to Bingley Harriers for organising a fantastic Fell Relay Championship this year, the whole thing was very well done. Weather was amazing too!
Re: UKA British Fell & Hill Re
Re: UKA British Fell & Hill Re
Quote:
Originally Posted by
mr brightside
Still buzzing from it! A real red letter day. I was running navigation leg 3 senior B for Wharfedale, I was hoping for a standard fellrace checkpoint setup but as soon as I got the map (I was navigator) I realised it was a proper orienteering setup. I had about 2 mins to study the map before we had to make a deviation from Dowber Gill to CP1. I make the mistake of assuming that the CP would be easily visible and chose not to use footpaths or set my compass for it, but instead to set my compass for CP2 in advance and use a wall on the opposite side as a reference point for locating CP1. After a few tense minutes of scouring the fellside we finally found the marshal laid out in the bottom of a shake hole with the dibbing point next to him; you could have passed 10m away on either side and not seen him!
The majority of the checkpoints were scattered randomly about the bogs below Great Whernside, most hidden in gills but some visible, with two on the ridge around Sweet Hill. The terrain was incredibly tough for a high pressure situation; I frequently tripped over tussocks whilst double checking our course and went into a bog half way up my thighs at one point. This resulted in me crawling on all fours over the sodden vegetation and knocking the compass bezel with my thumb, thereby losing the bearing. My partner was much stronger than me altogether and I had to really push it, but managed to make all the right navigational decisions with the exception of CP1 despite the handicap of being constantly on the brink of collapse!
With CP6 out of the way we picked up two or three places on the way to Hag Dike, due to me being better down than up, but the positions lost on the way around and up had made a big dent in our performance. I advised that we shouldn't take a straight line off CP6 because the gills on the way would slow us up, but the topography of the land was clearly visible with it being such a fantastic day and you'd have to be very unlucky to find trouble.
After dibbing at Hag Dike it was a clear run in to Kettlewell, everyone was picking up speed and I felt a bonk coming on, that feeling of exhaustedness and hunger telling you to either stop or eat something. I'd chosen to eat a gel before the race to save messing around on the fell, and had misjudged the course demands. To add to the complications I don't like the run down from Hag Dike, it's contoured and it's too full of mole hills and rabbit holes- especially for someone in the early stages of jellylegs. I managed to keep up with my partner and we passed two or three runners before fording the beck and turning left past the water works. I was now in a situation where I had to hold my position on the last little climb and stay focused on not giving up. I've never fought against a bonk before, I’ve just always accepted the inevitability of it, and unless I’m mistaken I’ve never had it so hard in an event before. The last steep run in off the field was just like a slow motion dream; I’d kept the guys behind me behind me and managed to find a sprint to fight off a late challenge in the last 10yds. I forgot to tag the leg 4 runner and then had to have a bit of a lie down because my legs wouldn't support me! I'd do it all again next week.
Cheers to Bingley and the marshals; I don't know about the other 3 legs, but leg 3 was conceived masterfully.
Well done Luke a great run and nice to see your injury problems behind you. You were only a second behind your A team nav pair. Was looking out for you but did not have the pleasure. What a day out in a great part of the world.
Just one thing that my junior mind could not resist. The lesson of your post seems to suggest you should fight against a good bonk, no matter how hard. Growing up in Essex I was taught otherwise :w00t:
Re: UKA British Fell & Hill Re
Surely there has very rarely been a fell event as good as this yesterday. I thought it was so well organised with a supurb atmosphere and respect amongst competitors. From the silence and clap for Bill Smith before I went on leg one to clapping the very last team in before prize giving, all excellent. Nice one Bingley.
Re: UKA British Fell & Hill Re
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Roy Scott
Well done Luke a great run and nice to see your injury problems behind you. You were only a second behind your A team nav pair. Was looking out for you but did not have the pleasure. What a day out in a great part of the world.
Just one thing that my junior mind could not resist. The lesson of your post seems to suggest you should fight against a good bonk, no matter how hard. Growing up in Essex I was taught otherwise :w00t:
Cheers Roy. Being a mere second behind Ted Mason is an accolade i can't accept i'm afraid, i think Chris Newman had some sort of sickness problem which looks to have lost them quite a lot of time. As for my injury problems, i'm afraid they're still with me too. The ITBS will allow me about 7m before starting up, and ever since i spazzed my ankle on Little Whernside early last year it keeps on going; always the RHS outside, and only when it rolls inwards which defies convention. If i went to the right physio with the right experience they might get rid of one or both, but i'd suffer mentally from not running. So i have to choose between pain in my leg, or pain in my head- leg every time.
Re: UKA British Fell & Hill Re
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Stagger
A BIG well done to Bingley and Kettlewell.
What a cracking event.
Not a wrong word about owt by anyone.
Bloody marvellous
All the clubs did well, proud to be a fell runner.
Hear, hear! Couldn't express it any better.
Re: UKA British Fell & Hill Re
thank you.
we have some lost property,or has it been dumped?
pm me and i will sort.
Re: UKA British Fell & Hill Re
Re: UKA British Fell & Hill Re
That was a fine day out in the hills. I was the weakest leg of our team, but still had a good run and a lovely day out. Well done to all concerned.
Re: UKA British Fell & Hill Re
Amazing day out. Fantastic event. Great running. Loved it :)
