Icing and Cakes

The Blubberhouses 25 is another of the great North Yorkshire LDWA events, taking in reservoirs along valley bottoms, bleak moorland, a glimpse of Bolton Abbey and then a ridge run home after a steep climb up Beamsley Beacon.

Finally after weeks of numb snowy weekends, I woke up to a sunny bright morning and maybe the start of a thaw. Despite a long week of late nights and long days, I was up and out early and enthusiatic, and after an exhilarating drive over the moors beyond Otley, I arrived in Timble in plenty of time to make the start. Unfortunately, the race doesn't start there and I then had a mad dash down country lanes to the actual start in Bland Hill.

Excitement over, it was a low key start and off under silver blue skies up Washburn valley and along the banks of Swinsty and Fewston and Thruscross reservoirs, the day warming up as we ran.

Along the Fewston reservoir towpath.

 Just about to receive my first suggestion that I would go faster if I didn't stop to take photos

The 'bridge or ford' option over the Washburn

Thruscross Dam

 The first food checkpoint (Bourbon biscuit and flapjack) passed, and it was then out onto Rocking Moor, a slow climb towards a distant spooky gothic building on the horizon, the ground getting more icy as we gained height.

Rocking Moor

Ice on the tops

Eventually at the highest point of the moor, the edifice resolved itself as Rocking Hall checkpoint (buttered malt loaf and jelly babies), apparently a shooting house visited by George V in the early 20th Century.

Rocking Hall checkpoint

The route now cut across the north facing slope of the moor, with shin deep hard snow and great views across to Simon's Seat in the brief times I was able to take my eyes off the path in front of me.

After this slow slither and then a quick road section, we joined the path along the Wharfe past Bolton Abbey and then back across country via Storiths (custard creams) to the Deerstones checkpoint (lemon cake)

Bolton Abbey

Deerstones with Beamsley Beacon waiting in the background

Just past Deerstones, Beamsley Beacon looms ahead and it's the only steep climb of the race up to the cairn at the top.

Looking back from the climb up Beasley Beacon

The rest of the route along the ridge to Round Hill and back down to the Washburn Valley is now mostly visible ahead, but I was starting to struggle, especially as the ground got wetter and as I nearly lost a trail shoe in one particularly hungry bog.

Heading towards Ellercar

Menwith Hill in the distance on the final leg.

After a drink and some Shot Bloks, I started picking up a bit and managed to up my pace for the final section off the moors, through the woods past the reservoir and back up to the finish (Pineapples in syrup) in 4hr 7min.

A nice training run on a day that felt like Spring could finally be on its way. I had a couple of moments when the proximity of The Fellsman entered my head and I did wonder about how an extra 40 miles will feel in three weeks time, but that's all about pacing and setting expectations, and I'm happy that I am at least as well prepared as I was last year.

Next planned big run is a midweek reccie of the last 15 miles of The Fellsman.