[Graeme78]

List of races here:
http://www.fellrunner.org.uk/2008races.htm

Where are you based?

[Plattsy]

List of races here:
http://www.fellrunner.org.uk/2008races.htm

Where are you based?

Thanks Graeme.

I'm based in North Sheffield.

[pete D]

I've not done the Trunce but these are all good (see Grame's link for dates etc.).  They're all on weekday evenings and about 4-5 miles long.  I think they would all make good introductions. 

Robin Hood 'monumental' - fast longish course, 2 hills, neither of them very long or steep.

Stoney - a big hill on tarmac to start, rest of course mostly on hard trails.  BBQ at The Moon afterwards.

Bradwell - probably my favourite.  Runs through the village, steep hill, then fast open running around the top of the hill, fast descent and lap of the sports ground to finish.  Raffle!

Eccles Pike - very short.  leggit up the hill, then back the way you came.

Dennis Stitt - Holmfirth but no further to get to than some of the peak races.  Unusual cos it's 2 laps.  Entry gets you a free pint!

Pilsley - longish and fast, feels more like x country than a fell race.  Goes through the Chatsworth Estate.

[Plattsy]

Thanks alot Pete. I'll look into these.

[Falling Down]

Eccles Pike - very short.  leggit up the hill, then back the way you came.

My first ever fell race in 1990 and what made me end up moving to Buxworth. I now live underneith the Pike, ran up and down it this morning and am looking up at it now through my office window 

[Plattsy]

Ran the Trunce on Monday. 4.25m with 550' of ascent. It was my first fell race and it felt hard. I came in at 37:29 and I was completely knackered. The route takes in alot of different terrain: tracks, road, grass, single track footpath and four river Don crossings (Fun!). There is about 5 or 6 styles which unfortunately become bottlenecks. I think I might do it again but with the bottleneck styles and difficulty passing on the single track steep parts I imagine it is a course which can frustrate.

Thinking about running the Dennis Stitt next Thursday although with 850' ascent in 5 miles it could break me.

[jfw]

river crossings sound fun!

did bradwell last night and stoney on thursday

last night was hard. had day off on monday and went for a bimbly slow run from edale to hathersage, via ringing roger, winhill and shatton mast - did it ridiculously slowly but was destroyed during race.

stoney no-one i knew was there so ran totally my own pace, at bradwell a lady from my club was there who i'm normally quite even with - made the mistake of trying to keep up with her, then suffering the whole 2nd half of the race, then on the final lap of the field - half way round i had to walk (it was either that or be sick or pass out or possibly both) - everyone watching, 4 or 5 people overtook me and i couldn't care less - near the funnel i manged to summon up a bit of a jog - never felt so trashed! 38.09 i think.

[Plattsy]

Some pictures from the Trunce on Monday.

http://www.flamingphotography.co.uk/portfolio37343.html

There is a picture of me in there looking like I'm in pain. I was. You will probably work out which. My face gives it away.

river crossings sound fun!

did bradwell last night and stoney on thursday

last night was hard. had day off on monday and went for a bimbly slow run from edale to hathersage, via ringing roger, winhill and shatton mast - did it ridiculously slowly but was destroyed during race.

stoney no-one i knew was there so ran totally my own pace, at bradwell a lady from my club was there who i'm normally quite even with - made the mistake of trying to keep up with her, then suffering the whole 2nd half of the race, then on the final lap of the field - half way round i had to walk (it was either that or be sick or pass out or possibly both) - everyone watching, 4 or 5 people overtook me and i couldn't care less - near the funnel i manged to summon up a bit of a jog - never felt so trashed! 38.09 i think.

If you're normally even with her was it a mistake to try and keep up or were you just having an off day?

I could feel Sundays bike ride in my legs when I started the Trunce on Monday. I won't be doing that again. My legs felt tired before I started.

[jfw]

If you're normally even with her was it a mistake to try and keep up or were you just having an off day?

was a mistake - cos i was having a knackered day (at least i should have realised i would be knackered - sometimes there's nothing in the legs for no discernible reason! i hate when you can't even get properly out of breath on a run cos your legs are too tired/you don't have enough energy - i.e. you don't get the same endorphins cos you can't get to the same effort level - don't know if you know what i mean?)

[Plattsy]

If you're normally even with her was it a mistake to try and keep up or were you just having an off day?

was a mistake - cos i was having a knackered day (at least i should have realised i would be knackered - sometimes there's nothing in the legs for no discernible reason! i hate when you can't even get properly out of breath on a run cos your legs are too tired/you don't have enough energy - i.e. you don't get the same endorphins cos you can't get to the same effort level - don't know if you know what i mean?)

Yep. I know exactly what you mean. Can't find a rhythem, legs don't recover after a tough section, having to try loads harder than normal, generally demoralising. Something like that?

Going to run the Dennis Stitt at Holmefirth on Thursday. 5m/850'. I'm hoping with two days rest I'll be in better shape than the Trunce.

[jfw]

its official

i've got my number for hanging stone leap on saturday

24 miles!! holy cow 

now i need to find a survival bag to carry as part of the required kit...

blimey.

[jfw]

Right now, I'm the fucking king of the Edgebaston Reservoir racetrack.

 

you back in brum fraulein?

[Plattsy]

Good luck jfw! Sounds like a tough race.

Ran the Dennis Stitt last night. Came in at 46:11 and felt completely knackered. I started with a slight thigh strain and had to manage that a bit. Even so I'm not sure I would've gone much quicker. Think I need shoes with more grip to help alleviate slipping on steep muddy footpaths too.

Managed a strong finish (Ran the last part of the hill as strong as I could and probably flat out for about the last 200 yards). After my friend suggested I wasn't trying hard enough during the race to have such a strong finish left in me.

Is this right?

Is it better to run within your threshold limit and kick for home when you think you're capable or simply got for it from the off?

[pete D]

Hi Platsy

I was at the Dennis Stitt last night as well (38.44).  You're dead right about lack of grip.  It was like running on a treadmill going up that track and I had a few moments descending through those fields!  Did you get your free pint and T shirt?  I've started going off fast at the start of the short races to avoid getting caught in bottle necks.  That usually ensures I'm completely wasted at the end but can usually hang on to my position.

[Plattsy]

Hey Pete,

Good time. I got a long sleeve white t-shirt but no free pint  I needed a yellow ticket and organiser informed me only the first 20 got a free pint.

I'm running the Trunce again on Monday. Hoping to knock a 1 minute or two of my last time and I might set off fast too because the styles cause a situation more akin to the post office early on a Thursday morning.

[jfw]

Good luck jfw! Sounds like a tough race.

Cheers Plattsy - its a LDWA (long distance walkers association) challenge rather than a race proper - you get a number and a time and have to clip in at check points but its not as racy as a real race - also terrain looks a bit easier than a lakes fell race for example.

still gripped!

[Duma]

jfw - how did hanging stone leap go?

been looking at some off-road shoes since it's got muddy, anybody used Brooks?


Will end up doing a fair proportion of paved miles so looking for some sort of cushioning.

Any other suggestions?

[fatkid2000]

Not a big fan of Brooks shows myself. I've got a pair of those Inov8 shoes - which seem pretty good off road & in mud. I had a pair of Saucony off road shows a couple of years ago which also seemed pretty good, but died after one winters use. 

[jfw]

eh up duma!

hangingstone leap was great - but i picked up a knee niggle (ITBS) - partly from upping my milage too quickly I think and partly from wearing walshes (which i love, but which have zero cushioning) over such a long distance.

If you really want to run in mud I would get some proper fell shoes - i love my walshes, innovates get a good rep - choiceall depend on your foot shape.

if you are linking up sections of mud with a little bit of road (or doing more than a couple of hours at once) - i would get a shoe (more of a trail shoe) with slightly more cushioning - like the heavier innovates or the montrail highlander (which i am just breaking for next LDWA event on saturday).

Pete Bland website gives a good breakdown of the sorts of shoe

Trail shoes:
http://www.peteblandsports.co.uk/trolleyed/32/474/798/802/index.htm

Fell/Trail shoes
http://www.peteblandsports.co.uk/trolleyed/32/474/798/801/index.htm

Fell shoes
http://www.peteblandsports.co.uk/trolleyed/32/474/2/index.htm

if you are doing any more road than this short link ups - get both - i know its pricy but it will make both the on and off road experience more pleaasurble.

[Graeme78]

I never really liked the Montrail Hhighlanders, although they are very comfy straight from the box, and shouldn't really need a lot of breaking in.
A lot of people like the Mizuno trail shoe, forgotten what it's called, I quite like the Roclite 315 for traily type stuff, although I'm thinking of going for the 295, because that 10grams will make so much difference to my lard ass.

Are you on Burley Bridge on Sat JFW, I might see you there then. I'm planning on just hobbling round I've not been doing much lately.

[jfw]

hi graeme - yes burley bridge, i'm just plodding too. 

re highlanders - however much you run round the shop you often don't know until you do some running - which is an expensive process of trial and error -i can wear walshes out of the box, when i tried the highlanders i thought they might rub under my ankle bone, then when i wore them out running - it was actually the height of them up my achilles that seemed most annoying (and slightly rubbed 1st 2 times) - wore them on a tanky's recce on sunday on kinder and they didn't rub at all (hoorah!). other shoes in the shop were innovates - but they just don't fit my foot.

i bought them last weekend in a rush as i really wanted to get a bit of extra cushioning for burley bridge (was in font this week just gone so had sat morning last week to grab some shoes to take with me to get worn in).

[Graeme78]

I agree it is an expensive process of trial and error at the moment my feet seem to suit Mudclaws and roclites, however I got a pair of mudrocs because I felt the mudclaws were too specialised, guess what they don't seem to fit my feet as well as the mudclaw. So I'm going for the cheapo option and getting my mudclaws resoled by lancashire shoe repairs.

If I don't see you on Saturday good luck with Tankies. I'm just going for my roclites on Saturday although I've spoken to one chap who was thinking of going round in road shoes. I've not reccied so I've no idea what the terrain's like.

[jfw]

recce'd from crossflatts to finish (both by stations). There's a road section up to micklethwaite (following long towpath section which didn't recce!!) but once onto ilkley moor (between check points 6 and 7) there's a very boggy bit (broken up by a few slabs) - so i'm going with the highlanders.

haven't checked out the first half though.

[Plattsy]

Do the mudclaws break in quickly? Bought my first pair recently and they've been pinching me on the left foot where the shoe flexs. Not keen on this running with pinchy shoes business.

[Graeme78]

The only problem I've ever had with any inov8 is the heel, and they seem to break in quite quickly. Which ones have you got out of interest? I'm currenlty using 330's and they seem like the dogs' to me.