thanks Paul, there is one of me here :)
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What a great race at the weekend. As a first timer, some observations from the day include:
1. I liked the lady at the start doing the pre-race introductions. It was great to hear other runners such as Wendy Dodds and Karl Gray being interviewed
2. Thank you Salomon for the free running socks - I needed some more and they will come in handy.
3. Fair play to Rickey Gates for flying in to the UK previous day to run the race. With the jet lag, I couldn't have contemplated that. Was that the reason why he pulled out at Ribblehead?
4. Was I the only one who thought it looked daft for the 2 Salomon runners to use cycling arm warmers combined with a running top? Or is this the new look and I am just "old school".
5. Cramp, Cramp, Cramp. Wow, I have never experienced anything like it. My calves started complaining on the climb of Whernside. On the climb of Inglebugger, my thigh's and calves were in spasm. I have never had it so bad. Judging by the runners around me, I wasn't alone and other's were suffering their own private hell. 5 days on, my thighs have only started recovering.
6. I took off on the descent but the long run in caught me out. By the time I reached the limestone pavement, my energy was gone and I was reduced to a jog / walk / jog.
7. After finishing, I vowed never to run it again. However, its funny how you forget the pain and start to think where you can shave time off next year!
Craig
Anyone printed of the race certificate..........no need to pretend you're too cool / grown up - you're amongst friends............
Pity it's in Pdf format..........:)
I didn't run the race this year but I think my very very best cramp attack was the second time I ran it (2005 maybe?). Although I thought otherwise, at the time I was completely unfit and, added to that, it was a really hot day. Cramp in my calves on Whernside, cramp in my front thighs, above my knees and my calves on Ingleborough and cramp everywhere by the finish :). I was so in pain that it took me about 15 minutes to bend to get in my car and much longer to get out when I got home. I can breeeze the route nowadays ;) :cool:
By the way don't call Ingleborough 'Inglebugger'; it feels like you are insulting one of my best places :)
Why single out Inglebugger when there's Pen-y-git and W**kside!
Some more pics, thanks to Ian Slater of Rochdale Harriers: http://www.rochdaleharriers.co.uk/ga...ian/index.html
Cramp is poorly understood though there is no doubt that in general the better trained you are the less likely you are to get it. I am not usually prone to it, and it has never affected me in my five Y3Ps - but I did get it badly BEFORE and after, but not during, my second road marathon - in which I got what is still my PB. Afterwards it was so bad I had to stop and stretch every few steps for several hours.
Video from the start & the climb up Pen Y Ghent - more footage to follow.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ogq-hIu4oDo
The 3 Peaks 2013 race entries are now open and there is a slight route change due to the upgraded path over Whitber, although I dont think it has been announced so it might change (you can now keep your feet dry!)..... , I think it might knock a min or two off the times (what do you think?)
Details of the route change
http://racingsnakes.com/blog/?p=3