Despite the ideal training for the 10 Peaks being long days out running in the Lakes, I have been unable to resist sneaking in as many short fell races as possible since the beginning of May.
On most mid-weekdays during the summer there are little races held in Yorkshire within easy driving distance and the atmosphere, the chance to catch up with friends within the small fellrunning community, and the opportunity to run up a hill and back down have driven me to travel to several of these, (as well as one weekend one.)
Kildwick - 15th May
A warm summer's evening, and a very fast race visiting a weird plaster cairn overlooking the Aire valley (twice). Afterwards everyone piles into the local pub for prizegiving and a race debrief. Perfect.
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| Farnhill Pinnacle |
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| Me disappearing off across the moor after my first climb up to the summit |
Otley Chevin - 5th June
One of the oddest fell races in the calendar as it starts on a cobbled street near the centre of Otley and simply runs straight up the hill to the Chevin Surprise View taking in a large staircase and then plummets back down to the town partly on a painful tarmac section.
Being hunted down by a fellow club member with marathon training in his legs forces me to try to keep up my speed on the downhill making it even less enjoyable.
This race is the exact opposite of the 10 Peaks.
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| The last section of uphill above Otley with me pulling what my son calls my 'fell running face' |
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| The downhill starts |
Buckden Pike - 15th June
The fell running English championships visited Yorkshire for the short up and down of Buckden Pike in Upper Wharfedale. I have not a chance of a sniff of getting any championship points, but I drag my sons up to the gala attached to it anyway.
I describe it to my eldest as the chance to see the top hill runners in the country, and he seems a bit dismayed to see registration being carried out between a bouncy castle and a sheep judging.
The weather stays fine and we all have a good day, first watching the Ladies' race, then the boys play in the stream while I crawl very slowly up the hill and barrel slightly more quickly back down.
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| The Ladies line up for their race, nearly all watching the starter intently, with the odd one making adjustments to laces. |
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| The initial stream crossing. I just manage to stay upright on the slimey rocks |
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| The start of the long painful climb |
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| On the way back down |
Beamsley Beacon - 20th June
My final race before the 10 Peaks is a fast up and down on Beamsley Beacon, close to Ilkley. It's organised by my old club, and so is a great chance to catch up and to inflict more pain of questionable value during the 30 minute climb to the summit cairn.
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| The climb is gradual enough for there to be no excuse to stop running. |
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And to make it worse, if you don't keep up the speed, there's always the chance the sumo will beat you.
(Most of the photos are taken by the amazing husband and wife team of Dave and Eileen Woodhead who, when they're not organising them (and developing talent like the Brownlees), go to most other races in Yorkshire to take photos for people to use for free.) |
