What has that got to do with anything? It also doesn't say anywhere in the rules that I can't compete with a Giraffe in my rucksack but that doesn't mean it's a good idea does it?Originally Posted by Graham Breeze
I wasn't intending that you write every single possible rule you can think of, but maybe changing "full body cover" to jacket, trousers, gloves and a hat might be a good idea.
groan
Know what you mean Clive, double groan!
Apologies for getting involved folks, what started as an observation has re-opened the obligatory can of worms.
No apolgies needed Rob, everyone's entitled to their opinion, just think if everyone took a kit bag full of tackle and saw what was needed on the day job would be right, mind you Pete Bland wouldn't take as much brass.
You're absolutely right, I certainly do that and my clubmates do the same. My input was just to suggest that this apparent "confusion" that crops up all the time would disappear if the rules were re-worded very slightly even though it would effectively mean exactly the same.
I've always carried what I think I need anyway, which is often more sensible than the mandatory requirements anyway.
Surely the fact that this issue keeps coming up tells us that the kit requirements need to be clearer. As Rob has said the actual change in the wording that is needed is tiny.
It was my first Three Peaks yesterday. Crumbs, that was hard. I've been injured on and off for the last six weeks, but had a good mileage / climbing base and better performances early this year, so I thought I'd get stuck in.
I had a great chat with Manhar at the start, and then got stuck in on my plan: 1 minute up half way up PYG, on top spot on time (48 mins), and still bang on at Ribblehead (2 hrs 1 min). By then though I was suffering badly with a blister on my right heel. I wondered about getting it looked at but it wasn't too bad and the next bit was uphill anyway so I though sod it and just kept going.
I didn't find the top bit of the Whernside climb too bad, it's more the two steepish bits between Hell Gill and the bottom of the very steep final ascent that were hard. I walked almost all of this. I did have jellied legs at the top though and staggered badly in the wind trying to cover the five yards to the marshall with the dibber thingy. I struggled a bit to get running on the descent and never really found a rhythm again. I made it to Hill Inn with about 7 minutes to spare and about 5 minutes down on my (5 hours ish) schedule.
The Ingleborough section was really hard - I lost a lot of time on the ascent, walking all of the flat bit about 200 yards behind Manhar. He must have made a very good fist of the steep bit and the descent to finish 10 minutes ahead of me. The spectators on this section were superb - I had several drinks of water on the way up (my energy drink was interfering with my guts) and just the general encouragement can carry you along for a bit. It was very hard running on the top, and also disappointingly difficult down the first part of the descent. I had a walk and a breather just before the ladder stile and then managed to run the rest of the way to the start of the limestone pavement at Sulber Nick. I had to walk almost the whole of the flat bit after the check point and couldn't work out why, reading the preceding posts it must have been the wind as well as just general knackeredness. Anyway when the gradient steepened I got moving again and eventually managed a sprint finish to skip in front of Nigel Crompton, who I'd followed much of the way down (sorry Nigel) and stay in front of David Timmins, without who's encouragement I'd have finished another minute and a half down. Anyway, despite falling apart a bit I did finish, in 5:16:26.
My feet are destroyed, no skin on either heel and various smaller blisters on the balls of my feet from having to midfoot strike from about 4 miles in. Crumbs, those paths were hard and rough! Other than that, I'm ok tonight and certainly learned a lot of things (mostly ones I already knew - don't race in untried gear, in this case socks, or use untried nutrition etc. etc.)
I'm sure I could take a lot of time of this if I run this race again - I may even come back!
Thanks to Dan, Pete, Andrew, Manhar, Tim and Helen (and countless others) for their support. I've achieved one of the ambitions I had two years ago when I started fellrunning.
Jim
PS: Mandatory gear discussion seems a bit tedious - surely if the RO asks you to carry something you can just b****y carry it, after all he's the one who'll end up at an inquest if something goes badly wrong. I'll be taking over one of our races in a year or two and I would be well fed up if someone came to grief because they didn't carry kit when they were asked to. OK it probably wasn't the right call on the day yesterday, but the RO and team put a lot of effort in so we can enjoy ourselves - why can't everyone just respect their decision?
I didn't really mind having to buy some children's gloves & a balaclava. Or having a thorough kit check at the start. I had my whistle, compass, waterproof, gels, fluid etc. What irks me slightly is people being told, upon having a kit check & having some kit missing, that it was ok to race. What's the point have kit stipulations if they're not adhered to ? One rule for one etc.
Referees decision is final.
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