Race to the Summit
This is a nice low key 4.5 mile fast fell race (route extended by 0.5 mile this year) with 800ft ascent from the summit inn just outside Littleborough near Rochdale.The race ascends steadily for 2 miles on footpaths and dirt roads up to the whitehouse inn on the road over to Halifax and then descends on a different route for about a mile before rejoining the ascent route for the final push to the finish.After such a long break from racing i was a little nervous before the start as to how i would feel and wether or not i would reignite any troubles in my foot but all was well.Although i felt a bit stale and slow on the flatter bits i felt good on the climb and the steeper bit of the descent and managed to finish in 33:05 in 8th place out of 51 runners,this did my confidence the world of good and it was really nice just to get a good hard run under my belt.
The Whitehouse Inn high above Littleborough,the turning point for the race.
Great Whernside
The Great Whernside race for me is everything a fell race should be,it's got steep climbs,big bogs that stop you dead in your tracks,steep rocky descents,and a cracking run down into the finish,and best of all no flat in sight! I have done the race twice before and so knew to expect a high quality field,even more so this year as it was the Yorkshire Championships.After a pretty hard week of training i wasn't expecting to run that well and was just going into it for a hard training run not really bothered about time or postition but i surprised myself with my run.The race attracted a field of 175 including some top runners.The race was won in 31:06 by Carl Bell of Howgill Harriers who has been in sensational form this year including recent wins at the Three Shires and Langdale Horseshoe races in the Lake District.I finished in 28th position in 36:20 and although i jarred my knee sprinting into the finish i felt pretty good if a little blunt from a decent week of training,the race taking my total for last week to 40 miles and 9000ft ascent,which is the highest for quite some time! Hopefully keep on building on this over the winter and now the clocks have gone back it's going to be time to dig out the road shoes for some tarmac slapping.Next race is going to be the Gravy Pud race on the 2nd December and then after that it will be the new year!
Have been forming some more definitive but still provisional plans for next year on the running front.Having seen the dates and race selection for the British Championships i am now intending to run all four of the races to hopefully try and medal in the under 23's,especially excited by the long counter, the Arrochar Alps race,I have been wanting to have a crack at this beast for the last 3 years since i first heard about it and this is an ideal excuse for a trip up to race in Scotland.The races in Northern Ireland are always a great weekend away and next year it's the short but very sharp Slieve Bernargh race which i last did 2 years ago.Moel Wnion in North Wales is the other short counter and having done this race once before i know that it's going to be a cracker with the top runners in Britain racing it.The medium counter is the classic Coledale Horseshoe in the Lake District which although i haven't raced is one of my favourite parts of the Lakes.
Really excited about next year on the running front and hopefully getting into university and starting on a new career path it's going to be challenging and exciting year full stop.
Happy Running
