Wardle Skyline – Saturday 14th April
April 15, 2012Wardle Skyline – its always good weather - said Checkers, apart from Saturday. A very cold wind was blowing on the tops certainly not short sleeves for me. Just me and Checkers on this jolly jaunt to Rochdale for a tough 7 mile fell race organsed by Rochdale Harriers. We did this race 2 years ago when it was on our fell calender and thought it was worth another trip out, better than shopping. A good turnout of 203 runners with a few familiar faces among them. At the start Checkers was telling me how he wasn’t feeling that good and wasn’t looking forward to the race – now where have i heard that before?
From the off the Bullet went into an early lead and by the 2nd hill (Hades Hill) he was 20-30 ish metres infront of me, everytime i looked up he seemed to be the same distance ahead i just couldn’t bridge the gap. As we hit the long down hill section past the cairn he pulled away further, Checkers normally descends like a big girl but today he left me for dead. I think it must be that new close haircut he had specially that morning making him run faster – more aerodynamic? – less drag from the side bits?.
Checkers came in 100 yds ish infront in 82nd position well in the upper half of the field, leaving me to battle with a Rochdale Harrier for 87th position, a good race in cold conditions, never going to be a fast time cos of the headwind on the first half of the race.
Afterwards we went to the prize giving for a cake and a nice hot cup of tea.
With Buttermere in mind i might get one of those faster style haircuts like Checkers.
Mark S
Comments
Mark L
Apr 16, 2012 8:25
Mark S,
This is actually true:
I really do shave my hair close the day before a big race. It’s short now from the Calderdale Hike at the weekend.
The main reason is it just makes me feel ‘ard!
Looks like a good close race though – good effort. And definitely better than shopping.
checkers
Apr 17, 2012 17:39
What a difference a change in the wind direction makes
Saturday morning lovely sunny and warmish and no wind
Saturday afternoon cloudy and a cold easterly wind it really did take all the fun out of the day
Previous races have always warm and fun with runners bouncing up down like new born lambs full of the joys of spring. Not this afternoon, this was going to be a nose down to the grindstone type of race, although the weather was’nt bad, the race had the wind in your face all the way, if you wer’nt running into it. It was blowing across.
When me And Mark arrived it took us a while just to get out of the car . We were questioning why we were going to do the race,
and whinging about the niggles from Wednesday night escapades. The warm up did’nt make me feel confident at all, my knees were complaining, even my left hamstring had a little twinge just to cast more doubt. However I had taken some pain killers earlier which had’nt kicked in yet.
The race start came, and as soon as I started I began to feel sick the run up the cobbled lane up to the dam was horrible. Then as we passed the dam we got hit by the icy wind blowing across the res. It was like some one flicking a switch everything fell into place I got going I went over to left and got some shelter from the line of runners in front of me, this enabled me to pass everyone on the climb, I was in full flight now, I switched over to right to get the better line going down. The only trouble was I lost some control and got pulled back over to left just as a pink lady runner was pulling over to the right. I just about put the brakes on to prevent me cutting her up, but gave her a shoulder barge instead. She was’nt very happy about this and swore baddly at me in a very unlady like way, as though I shoulder barged her delibrately. I am sorry it was an accident they happen you know. Anyway she soon soon pulled away. And I continued on my merry way. Barring that incident I had very good rest of the race Mark S was still behind, I was running well and looking forward to the looong run down. I was now competing with a young lady runner from Royton I got in front of her before the down hill, then she was in front of me, I got back in front, she nipped in front at the cobbles, the chase was on. I was hoping that she would flounder on the hill just before end but like me she just kept going maintaining the gap and finally pulling away on the run into the finish.
I finished with a respectable time of 62:46 and pos 82 from 210 slightly slower than last year but the cold wind put pay any PB’s
Mark S finshed in 63+ a few secs and pos 85 I think ?? sorry i did’nt take note of your time
This is a good course without too much mud and bogs mostly firm ground without being too hard. OH!! apart from the section on the cobbles!!! hehe
I don’t think the streamlined haircut had anything to do with my faster pace I had my wooly hat most of the way i was just trying to keep warm by running faster
Checkers
Ray
Apr 17, 2012 18:48
Well done guys! Great to know the club had representation.