Sandstone Trail, Oct. 4th 2009

[DazTheSlug]

friend of friend has got an "A" start now thanks harrymoon (maybe yours!) - shame you can't make it - Good Luck in your comeback at Briedden

did final "shoe test" jog last night - Merrell Overdrives for me

I'll be wearing my fluo-green Fell Ponies vest

no chance whatsoever of beating the "B" starters to Beeston - I'm looking at 70-75mins to Beeston and hopefully just squeak under 3 hours for the whole thing

Splatcher - I'd assumed it was just every man for himself parking in the numerous laybys on the Delamere Forest road - or is it going to be a bit more organised than that?

[Splatcher]

Splatcher - I'd assumed it was just every man for himself parking in the numerous laybys on the Delamere Forest road - or is it going to be a bit more organised than that?

Only in the sense that we'll be ushering you politely towards the particular layby we've selected for you. We'll be trying to make sure that layby space doesn't get wasted, that's all.

[Splatcher]

no chance whatsoever of beating the "B" starters to Beeston - I'm looking at 70-75mins to Beeston and hopefully just squeak under 3 hours for the whole thing

...and don't be so sure of that. I finished in 2h46m last year & 2h44m the year before. I hit the B race start both times. They start before you get to Beeston Castle, at GR538584.

[trilathon]

jus, rather belatedly. checked out the details of the race

if you haven't booke the bus...does that mean you have to organise your own way of getting back to your car ?

34 miles is sounding a long way after todays xc

[Splatcher]

jus, rather belatedly. checked out the details of the race

if you haven't booke the bus...does that mean you have to organise your own way of getting back to your car ?

I'm afraid so - that's why the buses are laid on. You could try turning up at Delamere to see if you can talk your way onto one of the buses, but I don't think they're set up to do that (i.e there may be nobody who can say "yes" with confidence & take your money). And the buses may be full. They leave at 8:30, & if you can't blag your way on you would still get to the start in plenty of time, as long as you can drive faster than a coach

If you can't get on, you might find someone else parking at Duckington who has a lift lined up & room for another. Most people book the bus.

[trilathon]

ok, thanks for confirming that.

[Splatcher]

That was a good run. Good weather - still, clear & not too warm. A bit disappointed with my time (2h39m) but still a PB by 5 mins. Went off too fast again, so I was struggling on the last few miles. Will I ever learn? Er...no. I got past the B race before they started for the first time, by 2 minutes, so no hanging around at the gates queuing this time.

[marshalini]

Went off too fast again, so I was struggling on the last few miles. .

I went off like a tool and had nothing left with 5 miles to go and lost 4-5 places from the tea shop. Finished quicker than I had anticipated even with the extreme fade, so just about happy.

2:15:22, 5 minutes slower than previous two years. I had entered this with the intention of running under 2:10 but just didn't do any training.

[idler]

I, err, went off too fast and died at the end a bit - there's a pattern emerging here isn't there? Snuck under 2h30 so pretty pleased by that. Think I probably had last week's 3 Peaks in my legs. Blah blah blah

[DazTheSlug]

Fantastic Event - thoroughly enjoyed the first half from Duckington to Beeston
not really trained up for the distance though
I'm trained up for hills/time on feet and thought that would see me through, which it did (barely)
slowly ground to a halt mile on mile up to Rock Farm and beyond
last 2.5M were tough - kept wanting to stop for a lie down
was on schedule for a sub-3 finish at about 9M, but eventually staggered over the line in 3:18

If I do it again, I would definitely want to get a couple of 18-20M training runs in

great see marshalini at the start, and harrymoon mooching about near the finish