Great day out, chatted to various folk at various points, including GordonS and Geraldine, but have no names for most of the good people encountered.
Think I know who Mr Brightside is now. I was one of the last through Mankinholes to benefit from a dram of Jura, and it was wonderful. Thanks. It helped to wash down the ibuprofen too.
Finished just outside 7 hours, as usual. It was my 5th Hobble and there's only about 5 minutes between my fastest and slowest times: leisurely but consistent.
Actually felt reasonably strong at the end for once, which was a surprise given my recent injury record.
Hope the guy who ran round in my socks enjoyed the event. (He'd arrived without any and I happened to have spare pair.)
I caught up with him on the ascent of Stoodley Pike and I think I managed to stay ahead; I developed an irrational horror of being beaten to the finish by my own socks.
A good day out with the weather smiling on us despite a bit more drizzle than I expected from the BBC forecasts on Friday night. A bit quicker than last year despite adding a fair bit of flab, troubled by sciatica and not doing the necessary training.
We had a good battle with a pair from Essex - they'd started 30 minutes late, flew past as just past Mankinholes, we caught them up at Stoodley then proceeded to overtake them a number times, not because we were faster, but they seemed to have their own ideas on where the route went, so kept popping up behind us. All good fun!
Did anyone else think the organisers didn't have the support from the local societies who benefit from the proceeds of the race? It's the first time I can recall no hot tea at CP4 and CP9.
Nice to run with Tussockface for awhile before he shot off to what I expect must be close to a PB for the event.
Close, but no cigar.
Thanks for your account, Gordon.
I don't normally feature in a sentence with the word 'shot', unless it's coupled with 'should be'.
I set off like a lunatic and was at mMnikinholes in about three and half hours. At that point the wheels fell off big style. I managed to get up Stoodley Pike but then slipped crossing the stile on the descent. Cue me rolling around in the mud with the most spectacular cramp I think I've ever had. Several runners helped me get moving agin including a passing Ben Mounsey out on a training run(thanks Ben, you're a bloody star)
In spite of not feeling too bad for a few miles the climb on tarmac after the last check point felt like the North face of the Eiger with me weaving all over the road and really fancying a sit down. I had a brief chat with a passing Britnick complete with new Runfurther tattoo and then I noticed the legend that is Wendy Dodds appearing behind at alarming speed. She dragged me over the Top o' the the Stairs and past Nick whilst telling me she'd got lost twice and had to pull a '3cm' nail from her foot earlier. Wendy blasted off up towards Penistone Hill leaving me for dust but I finished reasonably strongly in 6-17ish
When Ben and co where getting me back to my feet (literally) I was thinking of chucking all my trainers out and taking up flyfishing again but I'm just about to enter the Calderdale Hike. It's a bit slower than the Hobble and suits my style of running better I think :closed:
Poacher turned game-keeper
Well I'm just about back in a fit state to post again - I was too knackered last night to do anything but collapse with a G&T. Oh - and cook tea for the family. A great day out again, although I was 8 mins slower than last year. I rarely run events as fast as the Hobble, so my legs were giving me a bit of gyp as I was driving home. A pity the weather didn't really clear much, but I didn't regret wearing shorts. For the first time ever I ran all the way up the road to Heptonstall, even if it was slower than some will have walked it. Good to see so many of you out there (Karen, Chris, Rachel, Nick, Tony & who knows who else), & I remembered to shout a hello to Clive as I went past his house. I'll beat you next year Rach!
Last edited by Splatcher; 11-03-2012 at 10:53 AM. Reason: speling