Champs races 2022

[Graham Breeze]

Sock Puppet!

TBH I think my approach probably holds more true for road/XC races where it's more a function of VO2 and lactate threshold, whereas in fell running those play a part but ascending/descending/technical skill play a much greater role. Knowing when to balance the things you can deal with and react to, against the things that are out of your hands, is all part of the tactics of racing.
Of course it's easier for those racing in the Open men's category - you know exactly where you stand in the race. It must be much harder for women and the more *ahem *experienced vets, where you can't see the wood for the trees and competitors could be hiding!

You yielded my point with admirable grace and discretion.

A career in diplomacy could readily have been yours.

[ponte_ricky]

focus on the process and the performance, not the result or what other people are doing.
You can't control what other people are doing, just yourselves.
I've not bothered looking at a start list for a good few years (before covid) and enjoy the build up to racing so much more because of it!

Well Said Nic, i only raced 3 times last year and each time I really struggled because i kept looking at people on the start list or on the start line thinking "i should be beating that person", resulting in me blowing up hard by going out too fast. I didn't take into account that we hadnt raced for well over a year and it will have no doubt shaken things up a bit. I was out of action injured for 5 months but i've recently managed to start racing again and now i just set off at my own pace and forget about pre-concieved notions of who i should be competing with and just wait to see where i'm at later in the race and start competing with the people directly around me there and then. As a result i've found i've raced much better and felt stronger throughout those races. At the Stan Bradshaw race i was just picking people off throughout the race and even found i had something left in the tank to attack and pull away from a group on the final climb which i dont think i've ever done hahah. a really satisfying way to race, although i appreciate its probably a bit different nearer the front.

[Travs]

Yeeees but with respect it is a race and a function of races is what others do.

So I was doing a 7 mile race and spent the last 3/4 miles running as hard as I could failing to catch up with someone a hundred yards in front whom I believed was in my vet category and would deny me First Vet. I really wanted to win and I was really trying. I hadn't turned up to come second.

Then from nowhere my biggest rival (whom I did not know was running) caught me up about 200 yards from the finish.

I was livid, I swore, I set off in fury like a rocket, left my rival for dead, overtook the man I had been unable to catch after several miles of trying and was running so fast I crashed into the fence beyond the finish tunnel.

I won my category because of the adrenaline effect of another runner.

Winning is about what is in your head.

There was a Vet80 category at Carrock Fell today.

[Graham Breeze]

There was a Vet80 category at Carrock Fell today.

I recall at Wardle Skyline one year the RO gave a prize to every runner over "a certain age" on the basis that if we were still doing fell races in our dotage we deserved it.

[Travs]

I think you're taking a somewhat negative/pessimistic view here, and if you're not careful you'll have lost before you cross the start-line. Shouldn't you be expressing how you're going to change your training/up your training, so you can beat some of those 30, and then beat a few more at subsequent races?

As Graham has said previously, (and which I totally agree with), a lot of running is in your head, and if you go into a race expecting to be outside the top 30 in the v40 then there's a high possibility that's where you'll find yourself at the end

Garry Greenhow
Bill Stewart
Karl Gray
Darren Kay
James Logue
Math Roberts
Neil Northop
Rob Jebb
Dan Gilbert
Danny Hope
Tom Cringle
Lloyd Taggart
Pete Vale
Dave Ward
Gav Mullholland

That's 15 v40 names who are either superstars, potential race winners on any other day, or at the very least, far superior runners.

That's before getting to the likes of Noel, GazB, Virgil, Will Bootham, Nick Leigh, Orran Smith, etc...

That's names i either know are better runners but not seen them on results for a while, or i've never managed to beat in the past (although i suspect i'm going to be having a very close race with one or two of them...

Then take the many other v40 names who i know are around my level, or i've not heard of and assume some of them are going to be quicker (that's life!).

I'm not being pessimistic... i'm going to every champs race with the full intention of coming back with some points... some of the races which i definitely fancy my chances on... and i know i'm going fairly well on the fells at the moment.

But i know my abilities and i know i'm in a battle with a great number of other v40 runners for the final 10, perhaps 15 places at most.

[noel]

Wardy will be pleased to be on your superstar list there, Travs.

You've made it, Wardy!

[Marco]

Garry Greenhow
Bill Stewart
Karl Gray
Darren Kay
James Logue
Math Roberts
Neil Northop
Rob Jebb
Dan Gilbert
Danny Hope
Tom Cringle
Lloyd Taggart
Pete Vale
Dave Ward
Gav Mullholland

That's 15 v40 names who are either superstars, potential race winners on any other day, or at the very least, far superior runners.

That's before getting to the likes of Noel, GazB, Virgil, Will Bootham, Nick Leigh, Orran Smith, etc...

That's names i either know are better runners but not seen them on results for a while, or i've never managed to beat in the past (although i suspect i'm going to be having a very close race with one or two of them...

Then take the many other v40 names who i know are around my level, or i've not heard of and assume some of them are going to be quicker (that's life!).

I'm not being pessimistic... i'm going to every champs race with the full intention of coming back with some points... some of the races which i definitely fancy my chances on... and i know i'm going fairly well on the fells at the moment.

But i know my abilities and i know i'm in a battle with a great number of other v40 runners for the final 10, perhaps 15 places at most.

I'm not sure if you've said this to elicit a response from me, or whether you are trying to get your excuses in first. Whichever way I read it, it seems to support what I said previously about you taking a somewhat overly negative view of your chances.

I know the M40 category is competitive, as I was in the middle of this age range when I started fell running. You, however, will be at the bottom of the age range, and have a nine year advantage over some of the people you are racing against.

For the record I was 4th in my last fell race, (I am discounting my injury-restricted outing at the fell relays, which was my last time on the fells), and I won the M40 category. I was more interested in getting up the places to be honest, and finishing in the top 10 in smaller, non-championship, races meant I was always a contender for the category.

I don't think making lists of runners who you consider are better than you is constructive. The beauty of fell is that the runner with the highest VO2 max, (and the best watts per kilogram figures), in the country won't win unless they can navigate to some degree, stay on the feet over rough/difficult/loose ground, be able to pick good lines, have suitable footwear, be able to run fast uphill, downhill and on the flattish stretches, and be able to judge how to pace multi-hour and multi-hill races efficiently.

These are the sorts of skills you need, (and I've probably missed a few), and mostly they can be learnt by all runners - both fast and slow, to gain time and places

No personal criticism is intended in my comments; I just think that you could look at things in a different way, and analyse parts of your racing you can work on to gain time and places

[Wardy]

Wardy will be pleased to be on your superstar list there, Travs.

You've made it, Wardy!

[Travs]

I'm not sure if you've said this to elicit a response from me, or whether you are trying to get your excuses in first. Whichever way I read it, it seems to support what I said previously about you taking a somewhat overly negative view of your chances.

I know the M40 category is competitive, as I was in the middle of this age range when I started fell running. You, however, will be at the bottom of the age range, and have a nine year advantage over some of the people you are racing against.

For the record I was 4th in my last fell race, (I am discounting my injury-restricted outing at the fell relays, which was my last time on the fells), and I won the M40 category. I was more interested in getting up the places to be honest, and finishing in the top 10 in smaller, non-championship, races meant I was always a contender for the category.

I don't think making lists of runners who you consider are better than you is constructive. The beauty of fell is that the runner with the highest VO2 max, (and the best watts per kilogram figures), in the country won't win unless they can navigate to some degree, stay on the feet over rough/difficult/loose ground, be able to pick good lines, have suitable footwear, be able to run fast uphill, downhill and on the flattish stretches, and be able to judge how to pace multi-hour and multi-hill races efficiently.

These are the sorts of skills you need, (and I've probably missed a few), and mostly they can be learnt by all runners - both fast and slow, to gain time and places

No personal criticism is intended in my comments; I just think that you could look at things in a different way, and analyse parts of your racing you can work on to gain time and places

A bit of harmless conversation on the FRA forum will have ABSOLUTELY no effect on how i train, prepare, or attack this or any other race (mentally or physically)

[mr brightside]

I've felt deflated ever since i became post-viral and a wheezing, spluttering slowcoach. Part of the reason i parkrun so slowly now will be down to me turning up each week without my race face on, in fact i don't know where exactly it is or how i'm going to find it again. It's a bit like that missing spanner from the set.

All i can really do is accept the situation as it stands, as anything you fight and curse will only weaken you further. The trick is to see the opportunity in the obstacle.