Late December i got the e-mail from the organisers informing me that
our team had gotten in, i was very pleased and in my usual obsessive fashion, i
set about planning a training regime.
7 reccies in total, including the full section from Cutthroat Bridge
to Snake top road twice, once in the dark with Chris R, and once during heavy
rain with Ronnie T. The reccies were all good but the most memorable was Bleaklow
with Chris A in deep, semi frozen snow at night. We spent 3 hours floundering around
in the snow and only managed 7 miles; it was an experience i don’t wish to
repeat... ever.
Soon enough the evening of the race came around, i had managed no
further than 20 miles in one go but was happy with my fitness. I was lucky
enough to pick up a strange groin/stomach injury that my phisio put down weak
stomach muscles and scar tissue from previous inguinal hernia surgery. The week
stomach muscles were a surprise as they have to work pretty hard to contain my
ever growing gut.
The Friday of the race i managed to sneak out of work at lunch time and
get a couple of hour’s sleep so i arrived at Edale village hall feeling fresh
and ready to go. Impatience and an un-willingness to wait around for kit checks
was a sure sign that the nerves were starting and perhaps a sign of things to
come.
Our allocated start time was 11.33 and we were off chasing a steady
stream of head torches up the first climb to Hollins Cross. I had one eye over
my shoulder already watching the team’s starting behind us at one minute
intervals. Now i have to say at this point that Chris A, Ronnie and i had
talked about a race strategy in the car on the way to Edale, we would go steady for the
first 5 hours or so and then pick up the pace and stay strong for the second
half of the race.
Of course we stuck with the race plan and set off at a gentle pace,
without regard to the steady stream of teams passing us on the first section across
Lose hill and Win hill. What we actually did was get wrapped up in a seriously
fast pace and chase down as many teams as we could.
As you would expect this strategy paid dividends and we were soon
sprinting strongly into the first feed station at Moscar. Of course no one suggested
slowing the pace down. Well maybe Chris and Chris had suggested numerous times
that Ronnie and i were going way to fast and they may have had a point.
Moscar is only 10 miles from the start and was very crowded with
teams cramming in food and drink ready for the 20 mile section over to Snake
top road. My groin injury was beginning to hurt and i had a strange burning
sensation in the nether region which was worrying. Food was definitely out of
the question.
The short road section down to Cutthroat Bridge was a rest and i was
sure i would start to feel better, i had gone from feeling happy and full of
energy to lousy and tired, my stomach hurt and i was busting for a pee.
However, having a pee just made things worse, it felt like i was passing hot
water and even afterwards the feeling remained.
We continued on to the next check point at Derwent, i was struggling
a little, dropping back all the time, losing the places we had gained earlier
and wishing i could shake the feeling of needing a pee. At the Derwent moor
check point i stopped for some food and was overcome with the feeling that I couldn't go on. Risking further damage to my groin could spoil the rest of my
year.
Unfortunately Chris, Chris and Ronnie came to offer help at the
wrong time a got a mouth full of abuse for their troubles. Only 2 hours in and
with as much as 9 hours left to go i was done, i made my mind up to quit at the
next road crossing. Unfortunately this meant going all the way to Snake top
road.
You know you have good friends when they are willing to put up with
your moaning and move on like it hadn't happened.
Over the next few miles, we past Lost Lad and continued on to Sheepfold
Clough. My team mates did a great job of bringing me round and before i knew it
i was feeling strong again. Failing was not going to be an option and i felt
stronger as the miles passed.
Around Swains Head Chris A began to feel the early pace and there
was some talk of quitting at Snake Top road. Chris is a strong, experienced
runner and was just having a tough patch, there was no chance he was going to
quit. We eased the pace slightly and by Bleaklow Stones he was moving well
again.
The frozen ground made the going good even across the nightmare that
is Bleaklow and we made good time between the following 3 check points to Snake
Top Road. We were greeted by day light, bright, clear skies and blokes dressed
in women’s cloths.... I began to think my 2 hobbies had crossed paths until i realized the check point support crew were in fancy dress. Phew.
Copious amounts of hot tea and Banana’s were consumed, i refilled my
water bladder and we were off again, happy in the knowledge that we only had 12
miles (ish) to the finish in Edale. Featherbed Moss over to Mill Hill is a drag
but we were in good spirits and goind well. Even the burning in my
nether region was starting to ease.
A few weeks Earlier, Chris R, his brother Den and i had reccied the
kinder scout section, it had not gone to plan (despite my extremely competent
navigation skills). However Chris R navigated the second Kinder reccie and all
went to plan so i was confident he would not allow us to get lost this time.
The last climb was the long drag over Brown Knoll and Chapel Gate to
Rushup edge, we were going well and making up places all the time. With only
Hollins Cross to go and the final descent into Edale Ronnie decided he had been
left out and fell on his dislocated rib. Any ordinary man would have stayed
down but Ronnie was soon up on his feet clutching his chest and wheezing as he
desperately tried to run and breathe through the pain. That man is a machine.
We made Edale village hall in 10hrs 9 minutes, finishing 10th
overall and thoroughly exhausted, it had been a great experience and i think,
with the help of my friends, i may have conquered some demons along the way.
