Following on from the advice given on another beginners thread to 'join a club', what can those of us who are 'geographically challenged' do about this?
Are there clubs for southern runners where we can learn the arcane secrets of training for and racing on the fells? Or is my best bet to hang around on here picking up pearls of wisdom as they are cast, and making journeys north as often as budget and family permit?
Cheers - Raymond
I hear a lot of talk about 'Tring Running Club'.Originally Posted by Raymond Hickman
They are based somewhere in Hertfordshire, I believe, and, from a quick look at some race results appear to have a few good fell runners. I know they put teams into both the FRA relays and Calderdale and have noticed they have a shed load of entries on the list for Edale. Could be worth a look?
MH
There was a guy on the old forum who was looking into setting up a southern fell club with the proposed name of FellDown Harriers - if I remember rightly he was concentrating on the Chilterns London and the North and South Downs - I'm sure he'll reveal himself when/if he sees this thread.
Tring and Milton Keynes AC is the Hertfordshire local derby transported to Calderdale every December. They've (Tring) won it the past two years, anyway. We (Milton Keynes) also have a few experienced full runners and are presently trying to "formalise" the organisation of that section of the club. We're (a few of us at MKAC) also putting together a Bob Graham attempt in the next 12 months or so. PM me if you want any more info.
Brighton! Isn't there a World Mountain running champion from there; Nigel Gates?
And Brighton isn't particularly flat.
When I lived 'Down South' I found a good beasting on the cross country circuit would set me up just right for the fells,.
Simon Blease
Monmouth
For your location, the best you can probably do is join a local club that organises runs on the South Downs. I don't know any particular ones, but a bit of websearching should find out. Ask on the Runners World forum as well, e.g. on the Steyning Stinger page if there is one (upcoming hilly off-road marathon).
My theory is that hills evolve hill runners, which is why you get the odd southern club with strong hill running tendencies, like Tring, Stroud, etc. I don't know what gets the Essex lot (Springfield) going, but they seem to be keen too.
Just to correct you, Mountain Hare, Tring running club is not based in Hertfordshire at all, but in Tringshire!
Yes indeed. This covers areas you might otherwise know as Hertfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Bedfordshire, but is in fact entirely independent! The precise area covered is defined by where I can run to, or care to run to, and back, from my house in Tring. So it covers the Chiltern Hills from the north end of Dunstable Downs right down to Princes Risborough to the south west. Heading north west it ends abruptly at the Icknield Way at the foot of the hills, and heading south east it peters out as the hills fade into the mess of towns down there - I forget those foreign names. But many local gems are included in Tringshire - the Ivinghoe Hills, Wendover Woods (containing the Chiltern Summit, a Marylin in its own right!), Coombe Hill, Pulpit Hill, Whiteleaf Hill etc etc.
Really, you must visit one day, you will be graciously received.
We’ve got some bumps in Essex (300 feet) but our training is done by racing whenever we can. We sometimes travel 40 miles to train on the North Downs in Kent. Probably explains why we’re not very good.
Two of us at Springfield have been fell running for 20 years and have spread the gospel for most of them. We have our own fell championship. We even have our own contrived hill race 1.5miles 450 feet.
We took 30 to Box Hill last week (140 mile round trip) and there are similar numbers going to Long Mynd this weekend (400 mile). If we lived any closer we’d swamp the races.
God only knows what our carbon footprint is.
Unfortunately, Raymond, there are no clubs around our way that are too interested in hill running. My club, Steyning, is about the only exception. A handful of us prefer the Downs to roadrunning, which seems to be the norm for Brighton clubs.
Annoying as it may be, you just have to accept the solitude of running on your own and look down on those who prefer the monotany of pounding the streets. You are more than welcome to come running with me when I've gotten over this PF.
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