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Good Shepherd fell race 2011

A strange sort of day, only four us turned up for this club championship race, Me, Mike, Adrian and Pete. It was a kind of a flat sort of day, none of the usual excitement to get us going, it was case of turn up and get on with it, and just chugg round. The weather was rainy, misty and suprisingly not very cold, I think we were all feeling a little tired from Wednesdays night exertions especially me and Pete.

We all started right at the front, me and Pete didn’t do much of a warm up. It was so obvious when we started as Adrian and Mike soon sped off and were out of sight in no time. I spent most of the race going backwards, the first two miles and half miles were along drag up to Stoodley Pike.

The middle section was a fairly flatish section with just the dip down to the res. The route going down to London Road saw runners going down the hillside from all directions, I was being super cautious with directions and led a group of runners down to the checkpoint who then promptly left me in the dust or should I say the mud!! The route then went back up to Stoodley Pike, I struggled up here but was OK .  The mist was down now !! And there was an important change in the route coming up.  Again airing on the side of caution I got my map out, which I unfortunately buried and had to empty my whole bum bag  to get it out. Soon sorted out where i was going.  Through a fire break in the woods, it was good soft running and a gradual decent here, most of this part of route was supposed to be marked which it was, but some of the markers were in odd places or was just the runners infront of me just getting it wrong.

Now for the sting in tail the climb back out of Cragg Vale. I was prepared for this, but I just felt tired, again I struggled and was soon left behind again.  The climb went on and on I thought I was going to top out. Finally the last check point.  Just two miles from here??  and downhill?? It was’nt plain sailing as there was junction not far past the checkpoint one route went down, the other was going back up and there was no marker or so I thought,  it was only after umming aarring for a minute or two allowing more runners  to catch me that I spotted the marker, it was a very thin piece of cane with the tyniest bit of tape on it.  I am glad I checked it out.

Last mile Pete caught me up and passed me. However he joined a short que over a stile which allowed me to rest a little, I was able to shaddow him going down the last few slopes. Then once on the level following the train line into the finish I was able get back in  front.

Adrian  and Mike also finished together though they finished a little closer . There must have been a bit of a race on there.

Checkers

54 Adrian Hope 2:24:19
55 Michael Ernill 2:24:20
72 Mark Checkley 2:36:31
73 Peter Noble 2:36:37

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