Hathersage to Renishaw Marathon 23/40

Awful day. Running to a wedding. Not a great idea, then add to that battling against fog, miserable rain, cold and a GPS that wouldn't work. Tough running from the start. Bring back the sun shine! Mind you a rubbish day was probably overdue. Luckily thanks to the bride arriving late, we got there in time. Phew. What a great wedding with perfect weather at all the right times. I'll make up the distance next week or in the LTB in August.

White Peak Walk - Well you can run it. Marathon 22

Another sunny day and great day out running. More details to follow.

Hathersage Gala Fell Race - The Day after Marathon 21

So I woke this morning and legs didn't feel too bad from yesterday, however after driving to work both hips were really uncomfortable all day. I was also tired, fatigued in the legs but also generally lacking energy. And so it was with trepidation that I went ahead with running the Hathersage Gala Fell Race.
Good numbers turned out for this race as it is becoming steadily more and more popular.

Nearly 300 signed up on the night and after a small shower just before the start it was a short race briefing in the bottom of the school field before the off. The start happened out on the road whilst people were still filing out of the school gate and immediately goes up.

With this race you don't have much time running before it funnels down to single file through the various gates and pinch points up through the woods to the south side of High Lees. From here the race generally spreads out enough to allow for easy passing after the slow start.

On crossing the road and starting the ascent to Over Owler Tor I felt alright and able to keep on running to the summit. The ridge gave good solid running before kicking up to Higger Tor.

Here the path narrowed again and I found this slowed up the running but once on the top it was nice to know it would be all downhill. This is the end of the ascent as it drops to cross the road and then turn down left under Callor Bank and joining the old Turn Pike from Sheffield. If you've got the descending skills it's easy to overtake and make up time on this section.

The final road section down into the village  through the lanes was greasy with the shower before the start and I had a few close calls on trying to keep up with the legs. Back down on the flat outside the Scotsman all you have to do is dig in for the final punishing rise up off the road into the school field and finish.

A great race and bizarrely one where a short blast can actually knock off the cobwebs and stiffness of a long run the previous day! Felt loads better after the race than before. Next year I must start nearer the front and give this course a good go. Thanks for the organisers and all the Marshalls who kindly held up the traffic and shouted encouragement to everyone.

Marathon 21 of 40. 16 mile run from Hathersage to Chesterfield to take on the Brampton Spire 10 miler

 As is customary now for Marathon day, it was hot day, starting off a little cloudy then blazing sunshine then back to cloudy and I am getting used to finishing soaking with sweat and caked in salt. The planned run in changed yesterday as I couldn't come up with a clear off road route that I would know, so last minute I opted for heading all the way along the edges, turn left at Wellingtons Monument up the road past Bamsley Reservoir and head straight down into Barlow.

I had added a 5k loop on to make up the distance once I reached Upper Newbold so if things were not working out I could go straight to the start of the Bramptons Spire 10 mile and then make up the distance later. For pretty much the entire run in I thought it was looking a little tight on time due to leaving about 10 minutes later so did push quite hard to make up the time but then arrived with about 5 minutes to spare before the start of the race proper. More details to follow, but here are a few photos in the meantime. I'm off to bed to sleep off the stiffness before tomorrows Gala Senior Fell Race!!