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Thread: Favourite Types of Race

  1. #1
    Member ponte_ricky's Avatar
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    Favourite Types of Race

    Hello,

    I just thought I'd see what all your favourite types of race categories are?

    Personally, I'd say A/BM for me. Anything from around 6-10 miles suits me down to the ground as you have to run hard still, but its usually long enough to give the opportunity to feel your way into the race a little. Short races are fun but they really hurt and i find them difficult to 'strategize' other than eyeballs out at the start and hope to hang on.

    I've only done a small handful of AL races (Holme Moss, Borrowdale and Castle Carr). I had an awful time on Holme Moss and Borrowdale but after lots of distance training I am looking forward to throwing myself back into that kind of stuff in 2020 (hoping to have a bash at Jura and some more classics).

    or perhaps its just personal challenges and chasing down FKT's and long distance records? I guess there is a lot variety within the sport.

  2. #2
    Master Wheeze's Avatar
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    Anything A grade for me. I was never really a fan of bumpy trail races. Short, medium or long I did not mind although something like Moel Eilio seemed pretty much perfect to me (despite the long tarmac section at the end).

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    Could write for ages on this subject but i'll try to keep as brief as possible...!

    The big attraction for me when I got into racing was the big AL races, in particular Wasdale, Ennerdale, Borrowdale, etc... (I'd always had an interest in travelling fast in the mountains, but reading FITC really lodged it in my head, and it was still another 5-10 years from reading FITC before I gave it a go myself)

    However as I've got more and more involved, I've found myself enjoying all kinds of races... shorts/medium/long.

    Perhaps because being a racer at heart, I seem to find my better results coming in medium races.

    Apart from a few notable exceptions, I've not really performed as well on the big AL races as I'd liked to have hoped... (the only long races I recall good performances are Brecon Beacons, South Mynd Tour, Stretton Skyline - both admittedly at the easier end of the Richter Scale when it comes to long races.... and to a lesser extent done ok at Peris).

    Perhaps I'm not quite as grizzled and tough when it comes to the Lakeland Classics as I'd like to think... or perhaps the calibre of athlete on these races is a step up, but I've never really ran to the level I think I should.

    However, after all that, it's still the big AL races which grab my heart (Peris, Welsh 1000m, Ennerdale being the best three races in my opinion).

    Also have a burning ambition to do something really long. If I didn't at some point have a go at a Dragon's Back, Spine, etc (or perhaps a solo Challenge) whilst I'm still "young" I'd probably feel it was a missed opportunity.... although funnily enough I've never been too fussed about the BGR...

    Also the Mountain Trial style events where you have to plan long routes 'off the hoof' are very interesting.

    And I've found great pleasure in the last 18 months or so, trying to string together unlikely looking routes to link up my remaining Wainwrights... in particular a great summer day on the Western Fells from Lank Rigg over to Wasdale, and by contrast a horrific winter's day stringing together at least a dozen Northern Fells...

    In short, there's a fantastic variety of challenges, for what to the outsider appears to be simply running up and down hills...!

    As Wheeze says, 'A' grade races all the way wherever possible...!!
    Last edited by Travs; 12-12-2019 at 09:11 AM.

  4. #4
    Master Wheeze's Avatar
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    Travs, your interest profile above is almost exactly like mine was. You're so right about grabbing the opportunity to do the big longs whilst you still can. I remember saying to my running partner, Toffer, back in 2006 that unless we did the Dragons Back ASAP, we would be too old/injured/unable to do it at all. Did it in 2007. Wow, amazing etc. But I was correct! Neither of us would be able to do it now and of our 3 fellow DB team runners, perhaps only one would be able to give it a serious go. Carpe Diem and all that!
    Simon Blease
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    Member ponte_ricky's Avatar
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    I've not tried any of the mountain trial type stuff yet. Kinda keen to give the omm (or something similar) a go at some point but I'm not a great sleeper so i need to find a partner who can put up with me wriggling all night and they MUST NOT be a snorer haha.

    I think in 2019 i raced an awful lot, which got me very fit, but i was pretty much racing week in week out, mostly in Yorkshire but a fair few up in the lakes a couple in Scotland and wales. it was my first full season in the sport really so I've been a bit of a kid in a sweetshop, throwing myself at everything which has sometimes been good, sometimes not so good (coming nearly last at Borrowdale after bonking on great gable wasn't my finest hour). I'm still in the process of trying to master the classic AL type stuff, but i have devised quite a few AL training routes where i live. But I've never really felt like i'm in a race in the same way on those bigger races. For me, i love the adrenaline of tearing round the hills having a battle with a few other runners, it really makes me feel alive.

    Next year i plan to be a little more calculated with my races, mostly targeting the English and British champs to see what I can do, even though champs races have been incredible humbling so far haha

  6. #6
    Master Travs's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by ponte_ricky View Post


    Next year i plan to be a little more calculated with my races, mostly targeting the English and British champs to see what I can do, even though champs races have been incredible humbling so far haha

    Very similar situation to myself.... had planned to target the Welsh and North Wales Champs next year... then realised with an other couple of races added I could do a triple-assault on Wales and get the South Wales champs in as well....!

    So there's about a dozen races.... plus a few of the British/English Champs races which take my fancy... plus the annual 'not to be missed' races, and I must be up to about 20-25 races pencilled in for next year already between Jan and September. Not to mention Cross-country until February which is perhaps another 5 races.

    Current plans are to then have a real go at something long in 2021... although I've said that in a couple of previous years and it hasn't worked out!!

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    Member ponte_ricky's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Travs View Post
    Very similar situation to myself.... had planned to target the Welsh and North Wales Champs next year... then realised with an other couple of races added I could do a triple-assault on Wales and get the South Wales champs in as well....!

    So there's about a dozen races.... plus a few of the British/English Champs races which take my fancy... plus the annual 'not to be missed' races, and I must be up to about 20-25 races pencilled in for next year already between Jan and September. Not to mention Cross-country until February which is perhaps another 5 races.

    Current plans are to then have a real go at something long in 2021... although I've said that in a couple of previous years and it hasn't worked out!!

    haha yep, i keep flirting with the idea of doing ultras but then whenever i look at the courses they just don't really interest me that much. I think I'd prefer to do some of the big classics. Jura is the big one that i really want to do, it sounds both brilliant and absolutely terrifying

  8. #8
    Master Travs's Avatar
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    I'd heartily recommend the Lakes Mountain 42 as both an excellent event and an absolutely superb ultra route for fellrunners.

    Although the thought of a long challenge that actually goes somewhere really appeals to me... which brings me back to the likes of Dragon's Back and the Spine... and some of the linear challenge routes (Scottish 4000's etc), rather than the big rounds.

  9. #9
    Master Wheeze's Avatar
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    Ricky, if you've worked hard enough on the OMM you will sleep so soundly that a bomb would not wake you...so dont worry about snorers!
    Simon Blease
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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Wheeze View Post
    Travs, your interest profile above is almost exactly like mine was. You're so right about grabbing the opportunity to do the big longs whilst you still can. I remember saying to my running partner, Toffer, back in 2006 that unless we did the Dragons Back ASAP, we would be too old/injured/unable to do it at all. Did it in 2007. Wow, amazing etc. But I was correct! Neither of us would be able to do it now and of our 3 fellow DB team runners, perhaps only one would be able to give it a serious go. Carpe Diem and all that!
    Are you sure as long as you are lucky enough to stay healthy and mentally strong enough to maintain your fitness then somehow I think Psychology plays a big part :-

    https://www.theguardian.com/global/2...t-top-athletes
    Last edited by JohnK; 12-12-2019 at 08:32 PM.
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