Edale Skyline?

[AmyK]

Hello,

I'm mainly looking for someone to tell me whether I'm being entirely unrealistic - any additional advice about getting started with running up hills is also marvellous.

I started running last spring, mostly on trails but without any massive hills. Am currently running 3 times a week and doing maybe 15 miles a week in total. I've been hillwalking since I was tiny (mainly Peak District and Lake District) because my parents are great and dragged us along as soon as we could manage it, and love mountains with a passion. I also have one hip which hates tarmac but is fine over rough ground. The logical conclusion to all of which is that I need to be fell running.

I've got my eye on the Edale Skyline because I've walked bits of the route for years. Is it remotely feasible for me to run it in 2015? I'm happy to run 3 times a week and keep upping my milage, and am in Derbyshire so have access to hills I can run up and down, but it is a Long Way, and I strongly suspect that a marathon training plan for nice smooth roads is not going to be much cop.

Thanks in advance, and please do say if I'm being overly optimistic.

[Dave_Mole]

just looking at the criteria for entry, which say that you must:

1. have completed 2 AL races in the last two years
2. be able to demonstrate you can safely navigate your way round exposed fell terrain in potential winter conditions.
   
   Not saying it's not feasible, but that might be a bit of a challenge for you at your current level. In general, I'd say try and up the mileage a bit, get in a long run of 15-ish miles once a week and do lots of hills!

[Hes]

Hi Amy, firstly, there are entry requirements for Edale Skyline which state that you need to have done 2 grade AL fell races within the last 2 years so if you want to make sure you've got a chance of a place, you need to do a couple of those. Don't panic though as to be classified as an L the race will be over 12miles so they'd be good training for you but not necessarily as long as the skyline. The other thing is that the race takes place in March & conditions (weather wise) can be tough so you need to be able to cope with cold, clag etc & be able to navigate yourself around. I'm definitely not trying to put you off but it's good to go into it prepared. I'd advise that you get plenty of hills in over the next few months, have a look around for some AL races to have a bash at & see how you feel when it comes to the online entry day. It's a brilliant race but tough & there are time cut offs so you need to get your hill running practise in now. Good luck.

[OB1]

Amy,
I agree with Dave & Hes.
You could (should?) aim to do a few long but not steep races this winter and then reassess in spring.
Maybe consider starting with the Grin and Bear IT category CL (C for not steep but L for Long) this Nov 1 and chat to the RO and others at that race. It starts from Langsett and is in the forum race thread here.
http://forum.fellrunner.org.uk/showt...-Bear-It-Nov-1
There are not many AL races in the peak district and certainly few winter AL, so you might have to go further afield (Lakes and or Wales) for these. Thers is also the Trigger BL in January which is similar distance to Edale Skyline.
There are some other good longish races like Roaches coming up soon.

Holme Moss in August is a tough Summer AL and, for example, if you worked up via some CL and BL races towards doing Holme Moss in Aug 2015 then you would probably be able to gauge whether you were ready for Edale Skyline (where the terrain is similar but the weather potentially worse).

It also helps if you are training regularly (e.g. once a week) with a fell club. In the Peak District, clubs like Dark Peak, Glossop (my club) and Pennine will have members who can look after you and give you valuable pointers to local races (and local race knowledge) as well as social banter etc. My fell running has come on leaps and bounds since I joined a fell club, and like you my previous injuries (back) mean I stick away from the roads for most of my running.

[alwaysinjured]

It isn't just about entry conditions, it is early season so can be serious conditions, and it is longer than marathon in equivalent effort so pace judgement is vital - not a good time of year as a " first"

Why not take a shot at a stepping stone this year, like windgather, or (later cardington further afield) and build up to a summer AL later next year using such as kinder trog in the same area to build up distance?

LdWA challenge events are good for training over supported long routes over winter and spring too.

[OB1]

Hi again Amy.
I forgot to add, for Peak District races, Steve Temple's excellent website is one you should bookmark.
http://www.cs.man.ac.uk/~temples/hc/
There is a local race diary at the end of the homepage.
You will get to meet most of the characters from the Peak District fell clubs and the camaraderie as well as friendly rivalry is great.
If you can immerse yourself in some of these races over the next year (say one a month) then you will largely answer your own question in a year's time. Enjoy!

[AmyK]

Thanks all; I really appreciate the time you've taken to reply, and with detailed and helpful stuff too - just what I needed. Being realistic, I think this spring might be pushing it, so maybe I'll have a look at some of the other races mentioned (thanks again, I am really new to this so recommendations are fab!) as build-up and then give the skyline a go in 2016 as more of a long-term goal. Will give me a chance to be really confident of my ability to cope in bad weather too.

[AmyK]

Will give me a chance to be really confident of my ability to cope in bad weather too.

Hmm, in fact I dunno if 'really confident' is in fact the right wording - as confident as it's possible to be when you're properly prepared, I guess.

[Sam W]

Thanks all; I really appreciate the time you've taken to reply, and with detailed and helpful stuff too - just what I needed. Being realistic, I think this spring might be pushing it, so maybe I'll have a look at some of the other races mentioned (thanks again, I am really new to this so recommendations are fab!) as build-up and then give the skyline a go in 2016 as more of a long-term goal. Will give me a chance to be really confident of my ability to cope in bad weather too.

Hi Amy,

There was an Edale Half Skyline in the pipeline this year - got called off fairly close to online entry opening due to issues with getting permission to cross some areas of private land (if I recall correctly). It may well take place in 2015 mind, could be worth contacting Dark Peak (club who organise the race) and asking them.

Agree with the suggestions above, pretty much how I've been building up to longer races over the past year. The Kinder Trog (BL in June) that alwaysinjured mentioned is a great race & well worth working towards. The only thing that I would add is that I reckon it's really beneficial to turn up to lots of the shorter fell races in the Peak too. Lots of these tend to be BS (steep but under 6 miles), with the odd AS (very steep but under 6 miles). Great to get your fell confidence up, tend to have lovely crowds of runners of mixed abilities and experience, and give you a chance to get used to the terrain. For what it's worth, I've found short races to be harder in terms of ascent, whilst longer races tend to be harder in terms of endurance. Sorry, I know this is probably stating the obvious

Fully agree with the suggestion of talking to ROs and other runners at races about other races you're keen to do - I'd be hard pressed to name a more friendly and helpful bunch of folk. Hope you enjoy the fells as much as the rest of us do!

[IanDarkpeak]

Hi Amy,

There was an Edale Half Skyline in the pipeline this year - got called off fairly close to online entry opening due to issues with getting permission to cross some areas of private land (if I recall correctly). It may well take place in 2015 mind, could be worth contacting Dark Peak (club who organise the race) and asking them.

Agree with the suggestions above, pretty much how I've been building up to longer races over the past year. The Kinder Trog (BL in June) that alwaysinjured mentioned is a great race & well worth working towards. The only thing that I would add is that I reckon it's really beneficial to turn up to lots of the shorter fell races in the Peak too. Lots of these tend to be BS (steep but under 6 miles), with the odd AS (very steep but under 6 miles). Great to get your fell confidence up, tend to have lovely crowds of runners of mixed abilities and experience, and give you a chance to get used to the terrain. For what it's worth, I've found short races to be harder in terms of ascent, whilst longer races tend to be harder in terms of endurance. Sorry, I know this is probably stating the obvious

Fully agree with the suggestion of talking to ROs and other runners at races about other races you're keen to do - I'd be hard pressed to name a more friendly and helpful bunch of folk. Hope you enjoy the fells as much as the rest of us do!

Hi Amy

first get on as many races as possible, these will help build the stamina and fitness. Hayfield series etc are great. GnB and Trigger are also good races to get you in the ball park, however these need some nav skills so if you are short get on the FRA course or give me a bell as I run courses too. (See link below my name)

I run Kitcheck for the Skyline and the Trigger and help out on the GnB as it's run by my team.

We are hoping to put a half skyline on next year...watch this space