May 2014 - main event The Valleys 100

Only 2 years overdue, here's a completed draft from 2014. Enjoy the memories.

May is the month of serial compulsive fell racing, with back-to-backs, evening and weekend races, all short and intense. If Saturday mornings are free I would do the parkrun as well. I have found that keeping the body on the boil like this increases speed, maintaining or even reducing race times as I advance through my early fifties. I even got my first ever mentions in race results in 'The Fellrunner' (the FRA magazine). Many fell runners aspire to getting their name in the Fellrunner results, especially slower ones like me. Age sometimes has its benefits.

The end of May always brings one of the main highlights of the year - the annual 100 mile event of the Long Distance Walkers Association. This year it would be based at Pontypool and would take us on a journey through the valleys of South Wales.

Sat 03/05. Glossop 3-day race 1: Chunal fell race.

Final descent before final climb to the finish.

Three and a quarter very steep miles from the Grouse Inn between Hayfield and Glossop on a beautifully warm, sunny day. Conditions underfoot were exceptionally dry. I was pleased to get a PB considering all the walking I had to do (a lot of it is too steep to run and even then you're blowing out your a***e). I rewarded myself with lunch at the Grouse, eaten outside of course. Photo album.

Sun 04/05. Glossop 3-day race 2: Moorfield 5k road race.

Waiting at The Beehive for the next finishers.

This is a hilly circuit on country lanes from The Beehive pub in Glossop. 6 seconds outside PB this time but I still rewarded myself with al fresco lunch at the Beehive afterwards. Photo album.

Mon 05/05. Glossop 3-day race 3: James's Thorn fell race.

Nearing the top.

This 5-miler is a tough out-and-back with a loop at the top to climb and descend James's Thorn. I was very annoyed to go off-route at the top. With half-dead brain due to the intense effort and thanks to removed marker flags, I made the mistake of following runners ahead instead of veering left, turning what should have been a PB into a PW. It was a grand day for a detour, though. Photo album.

Thu 08/05. Buxworth 5 road race.

Five miles on steeply undulating country lanes from the Navigation Inn at the Bugsworth canal basin. Heavy rain storms abated just in time for race start. This was my first time at this race but I seemed to do surprisingly well compared to other familiar faces around me. Perhaps the back-to-back fell races were already doing some good. It enjoyed a big turnout considering the poor weather beforehand. No photos this time due to the poor light.

Woodbank parkrun kept me out of mischief on the 10th before a brief trip to London intervened.

Fri 16/05. Hayfield 3-day race 1: May Queen fell race.

The weather was back to warmth and dryness for this intense 3-miler from Hayfield up Lantern Pike and back. This one's quite rare in that the children run with the adults. Many of the children beat the adults quite comprehensively. I was pleased to get another PB with 27:53. Serious speedster Andi Jones won in 19:36. Photos.

Sat 17/05. Hayfield 3-day race 2: Mount Famine fell race.

We descend to climb and climb to descend.

This is another one based from Hayfield. It is a serious undertaking. It's only 5 miles but it starts off as it means to go on - with a hands-and-feet scramble up Elle Bank. Every possible hill is climbed and descended, sometimes more than once. The day was hot, the sun was intense and clouds of large insects hovering in the breeze along the ridge made you scared to breathe properly because you'd ingest them. An insect down your wind pipe is not welcome when you're already gasping for air. Those are my excuses for being 3:15 slower than I was last year (final time 1:05:19). Photos.

Pennine team cool-down.

Sun 18/05. Hayfield 3-day race 2: Lantern Pike Dash fell race.

Winner Daniel Chan on his way back down.

1.2 miles intense burn straight up and down Lantern Pike's steep side from Little Hayfield. The sun shone gloriously once again but thankfully there was a bit more breeze to cool us down a bit. The out-and-back route provided ideal photo opportunities. Even though this is short and intense I took my camera and snapped away as I slogged my way to the top. A cropped version of the photo above of Daniel Chan in mid flight got printed in the Fellrunner magazine. I surprised myself how well it turned out considering my main aim was to race, not take photos. Photo album.

Sat 24 - Sun 25/05. The Valleys 100.

The weather had taken a turn for the worse down south (there was nothing wrong with it up here in the north west). A storm system had rotated lazily for several days dumping its rain on South Wales and other parts, and it would continue to do so during this premier event in the LDWA calendar. What had become uncommonly dry ground for that part of the country had been transformed into a swilling bog-fest that was even wetter than usual. Add to that no visibility of the valleys that had been expected for so long, race organiser David Morgan and his massive band of helpers felt understandably thwarted.

I drove down to Pontypool on the day for the 2pm runners' start, hitting the rain just south of Birmingham. We'd been given to understand in no uncertain terms that anything faster than a saunter would be forbidden on the normal 10am start under pain of being made to sit on the naughty step at the checkpoints until they opened. I was mildly thankful for this as I arrived in torrential rain. Surely it would ease by the time we would start?

We registered in the school hall at the bottom of the hill where we would be sleeping after the event. The place was a dump. We had a choice of toilets in different locations and not one of them was serviceable. Most had no lock on the door, some had no toilet seat, some had no working lights, most had no toilet paper or soap, one was blocked and overflowing. Get the picture? I dreaded to think how hundreds of us would manage after the event. I needn't have worried because we would finish and get fed in the new building at the top of the hill, whose facilities were luxurious and faultless in comparison.

The rain had eased to a light fall by the time we started but full waterproofs were still the order of the day for warmth and comfort. Water flowed everywhere. An already tough route would be made even tougher. The rain would continue to a greater or lesser degree for a further 24 hours before sunny interludes would be punctuated by further showers. There would be no escape.

From Pontypool our route took us via checkpoints at Cwmcarn Forest Drive (8.3mi.), Maesycwmmer Village Hall (18mi.), Trallwn Community Centre (25.9mi.), Brynffynon Hotel, Llanwonno (32.4mi.), Moriah Hall (37.3mi.), Gelligaer Community Centre (42.8mi.), Deri Community Hall (46.6mi.), St. Aiden's Church, Butetown (52.3mi.), Bedwellty House, Tredegar (baggage stop, 55.7mi.), Georgetown Community Centre (breakfast stop, 56.4mi), Pen Y Fan Pond (62.9mi.), Senior Citizens' Hall, Nantyglo (70.9mi.), Cwmavon Village Hall (79.7mi.), Keepers Pond (84.0mi.), Llanellen Village Hall (89.5mi.), Goytre Scout Hut (95.0mi.), Folly Tower car park (98.1mi.), Finish (100.2mi.).

Because of the dire conditions I could quite happily have retired at the first and second checkpoints. Everyone I spoke to expressed the same feelings that I had; they weren't enjoying it one bit. Revelations just learned back home swirled around my head and increased the urge to give up. My heart just wasn't in it. However after the third checkpoint at marathon distance I resigned myself to just getting on with it and finishing what I'd started.

WET!

Sunday morning - deliver us from what we endure ;-)

We as participants just got on with the job of sloshing one foot in front of the other until it was all over, if we didn't succumb to trench foot first. Well into the second day on Sunday a steep rocky footpath descent that sometimes doubles as a stream had become a raging torrent. A hastily arranged reroute was put in place before nightfall to avoid the risk of walkers carrying on over the precipice.

The precipitous torrent - heading down to the watery abyss.

On Sunday evening the 4 hour later start, combined with the hostile conditions, meant that I was just pushed into the second night for the first time on an LDWA 100; I rocked back into the school just after nightfall after 32 hours and 32 minutes of wet. I would have been OK going on the 10am start after all. Many who opted for the early start were hours faster than I was. I should have ignored the dire warnings. There are runners and there are runners. Some "runners" are slower than some "walkers" over 100 miles. Attempting to separate the two categories will always be futile.

Hardly surprisingly, the drop-out rate was one of the highest for an LDWA 100. I could so easily have been one of them were it not for the Magnus Magnusson mantra I apply in such situations: "I've started so I'll finish".

Here's the photo album.

Western States 100 week Thu 25th

This was the first day of official activities, which began with the Western States welcome by Race Director Craig Thornley and WSER Foundation President John Trent. The RD has changed since I was last here. The previous RD was Greg Soderlund. The only familiar face for me was Mo Livermore, who has been a part of the race since its inception. You would never believe it to look at her; she never seems to age. Our greeting was a reunion of old friends. She remembers me for completing the very hot 2006 event with no heat training and without a single salt tablet, when most other runners were popping S-caps like there was no tomorrow. (There nearly was no tomorrow for those who overdid it. Vomiting and DNFs were common.) Latest medical research recommends doing exactly what I did instinctively back then - drink to feel as thirst dictates and take an electrolyte drink or soup at aid stations if salt in food is not enough.

After the welcome we hiked to Emigrant Pass for the brief ceremony at noon. I joined WS volunteer 'UltrAlena' Hansen to share the flag carrying. Alena will be volunteering at Rucky-Chucky nearside this year. On the way up we breathed the dust of heavy construction vehicles as they climbed to chair lift construction works.

 

A big crane that reminds me of Jez.

 

A cement mixer kicks up the dust.

 

The ceremony at the top with Mo Livermore and Tony Rossmann was moving. Tony's description and pointing out of the route to beyond Robinson Flat was particularly interesting. I recall while running the race in previous years that, as we leave Robinson Flat and run around Little Bald Mountain, the trail briefly turns back and we can see all the way back to Emigrant Pass. This is with more than 30 miles behind us. After that we begin to lose altitude as the route descends towards the canyons (even though we've already been through the first canyon before the climb to Robinson Flat).

 

Tony Rossmann and Mo Livermore conduct the ceremony.

 

At the top I met up with three other UK runners James Poole, Chris Howe and Henry Church. James had been feeling so energetic he went mountain climbing as soon as he arrived.

 

 

James descends his mountain.

 

After the ceremony we descended back to High Camp where we met the oldest entrant Gary Knipling, who does pretty well for a 71yo.

 

With 71yo Gary Knipling, oldest competitor at WS this year.

 

The 4th cable car ride of the week to the bottom saw us proceed by way of the newly erected starting arch to lunch at Fireside Pizza. It took my mind back to the pizza eating competition I had with Jez Bragg and Paul Charteris back in 2008 (I think). There was none of that shenanigans this time.

 

Henry, James, Chris, me - time to race start.

 

Here are the day's photos.

Western States 100 week Wed 24th

I had an easier, 6-mile day today with a jog down to the village and a trek up to Emigrant pass on the official Western States route, followed by a third descent by cable car (free if descending only). As I approached the village I noticed the floodlights blazing up the ski slope. No doubt they were testing them for race day because we use their light for the initial climb before dawn finally breaks.

 

Testing the ski slope lights.

 

The slog up to the top was not easy in the blazing sunshine. I'm thankful for the much cooler conditions we get at 5am race start. A water bowser climbed the trail spraying water to keep the dust down before returning to the bottom and repeating.

 

 

Track is dampened temporarily behind the bowser down below.

 

I arrived at Emigrant pass with another runner hot on my heels. He was Sam Fiandaca. As we chatted, another runner joined us, who turned out to be none other than Ian Sharman. Ian has 5 consecutive top ten finishes at Western States. Although a Brit (obvious when he speaks, but I think I hide mine well ;-)), he lives here in the US. We spent a while admiring the views out to the horizon along the Western States route and chatting about all things ultra-running before Sam set off down into the Granite Chief Wilderness for a run and Ian and I descended in far more leisurely fashion back towards High Camp. (We elites know how to save it all until race day. ;-))

 

Ian Sharman and Sam Fiandaca joined me at Emigrant Pass.

 

The day's pictures are here.

Western States 100 week Tue 23rd

That's more like it. I could keep up a more respectable uphill hiking pace today despite the temperature ratcheting up and the sweat flowing freely, and I even managed some running! After yesterday's struggle amidst much puffing and panting and pauses to admire the view (actually to recover and catch my breath), and zero inclination to run, today I felt a bit more energetic. The acclimatisation must be working. It's following the same pattern as the four previous times I've been here.

I entered Squaw Valley village via the front door today for the first time instead of from above via the back door. I joined the Shirley Canyon trail from the top end of the village to the right of the cable car. The footpath climbed variously through pine and fir trees, alongside a tumbling stream and across wide expanses of steeply sloping granite. The cable car to the left was soon out of sight on the other side of the mountain as the path took me on a now familiar wilderness journey.

 

Entering the village via the front door.

 

Guess where the trail goes.

 

The trail was marked in parts by markers of blue spray paint, known locally as blazes (blazing the trail with blistering blue blazes), which were fading and easily missed. Across the open granite slabs and boulders they disappeared completely. Scanning left to right revealed nothing blue with nothing to follow apart from my nose uphill. Inevitably I lost the trail and the nose-following continued up terrain that required hands, feet and a dash of daring. I was thankful for the extreme grip provided by the rough granite. Seemingly any gradient could be climbed without a single slip.

I knew I was aiming for Shirley Lake. I aimed right towards a clump of trees that seemed to surround a depression and it wasn't far from the stream, so I guessed the lake might be there. The ground foliage beneath the trees was impenetrable but a steep granite slope appeared ahead which I climbed, mountain goat style, to get a better view from above. There was no lake. I contoured back along the precipice with increasing sense of urgency because I had to catch the last cable car from High Camp at 5pm and I hadn't even reached the lake yet!

Climbing now to the left brought me back to the trail with a massive sense of relief. The markers were newer and more frequent for now and led me to Shirley Lake. Across the other side of the lake was a cable car terminus. I guess the lake forms a winter playground for the skiers from the High Camp area high above.

 

Shirley Lake.

 

The path climbed around the lake to join the steep access track left up to the wide plateau above High Camp. After power walking to the top I ran (note, "ran") down to High Camp in time for a sandwich and taking in the views before taking the penultimate cable car down at 4:40pm. The 1.5 mile climb back up to the guesthouse completed a reassuring afternoon's exercise and another 7 miles under the belt.

 

High Camp down below. Fire smoke still lingers on the horizon.

 

Here's the photo album.

Western States 100 week Mon 22nd

I arrived Saturday evening in Reno before moving up to Squaw Valley on Sunday. The weather was uncharacteristically cool and windy but characteristically dry and wall-to-wall 'sunshiney'. It was great to meet Herman and Ann at the guesthouse again. It's been 6 years since I was here.

 

Squaw Valley from the deck.

 

Yesterday (Monday) was a hike to High Camp (top of cable car) the long way round (probably 10 miles). After a lot of floundering and asking for directions I found the secret, un-signposted entrance to the footpath between dwellings perched on the valley side. The path wound back and forth and climbed to meet the Pacific Crest Trail way up top. The cable car and High Camp station grew further away to my left as I climbed until it was out of sight behind the hills. I was completely alone on that little-used single-track trail. With thoughts of mountain lions and bears, my senses were heightened. I heard that distant deep groaning sound again which I recall hearing when I was last alone on the trails around these parts. The hairs on the back of my neck rose. I have no idea what makes the sound but I always imagine mountain lion (cougar).

 

Leaving Squaw Valley.

 

 Last glimpse of High Camp (top left).

 

Squaw Valley down below. The 'cloud' on the horizon is forest fire smoke.

 

I met the first hiker at the junction with the Pacific Crest Trail. He had come from Tinker Knob to the right. I was reassured that he was puffing and panting with the altitude as well. After a brief conversation he sat down for a refreshment stop while I turned left towards Granite Chief. My refreshment stop would wait until Emigrant Pass.

 

Now on the PCT I met several hikers, all striding purposefully with walking poles, wearing big rucksacks and coming in the opposite direction. One of them ('Marathon John' Patterson, pictured right) stopped for a long chat. It was then that I learned all these hikers to be thru-hikers doing the PCT end-to-end from Mexico to Canada. I'm blown away by the very thought of something so big, something I would never consider taking on. We must have chatted for a good 20 minutes, he telling me about thru-hiking and how much weight he'd lost already, and me telling him about Western States (he'd noticed my buckle and T-shirt). Now suitably informed I was able to interact appropriately with the next hikers who passed. One of them said: "Only ten days to halfway". Wow!

 

At the cross-paths with Tevis Trail with Granite Chief mountain rising to the right, I turned left back up the Western States 100 route to Emigrant Pass. At the top were panoramic views of High Camp down below with Lake Tahoe in the distance and fire smoke billowing up from behind the mountains beyond. (There always seems to be a forest fire somewhere when I'm here.)

Fire beyond Lake Tahoe.

 

After lunch at the top and a slippery, dusty descent to High Camp I was happy to take the cable car down to the valley bottom before walking back up to the guesthouse. That little jaunt took more out of me than is decent. I hope I'm more acclimatised to the altitude come race day.

 

Cable car down to Squaw Valley.

 

All the pictures I took are here.





After the hypothermic hiccup let the PBs continue....

This early May bank holiday weekend sees a welcome return of Des Gibbons' 3-day Glossop running festival. It's my 4th consecutive year on the triple challenge.

Sat 02/05/2015. Chunal fell race 3.25mi.

Coolest conditions I've experienced so far but the ground was still dry. The closure of The Grouse Inn meant registration in a mini tent city on the sloping starting field. Some of us were thankful for the tents' shelter from the cold breeze before and after the race.

This is one tough, steep fell race that gets the heart and lungs bursting out of your chest and gives you tunnel vision through brain starvation (I'm not joking). It's short enough to push beyond the limit from beginning to end. I did and continued my string of PBs since 2012. The 2 minute improvement was an even bigger surprise.

First stage of first climb. Start is top left of picture (labelled).

Jack Ross beat his own course record by 52 seconds.

Full photo album is here.

Sun 03/05/2015. Moorfield 5+k road race.

Overnight rain stopped in time but its passing introduced much warmer, humid conditions. The sun came out to add to the discomfort as we powered our way on the anticlockwise hilly route. The sting in the tail before the finish doesn't get any easier. I have to walk it before the gradient eases off to allow the pace to be picked up to the finish line and another PB. Don't know how many more of these I can muster.

On the starting line.

Team Glossopdale.

Winner 3rd year on the trot: 15 y.o. Alex Jackson of Stockport Harriers. He really had to work hard for the win this year.

High intensity with only one walking break mean only one in-race photo, but there are plenty of before and after. Full album is here.

Tomorrow's James' Thorn fell race promises to be spectacular as far as the weather is concerned. Another PB would be very nice.

Mon 04/05/2015. James' Thorn fell race 5mi.

I exceeded my wildest dreams. It was the usual intense suffering from beginning to end but it yielded a PB by 3 mins 22 secs! I don't know where this speed is coming from but I like it a lot and I want it to continue. Beginning with Herod Farm hill race on Wed 15 April (first evening race of the season), every race I've completed has given me a PB (Fellsman DNF excepted of course). That's an 8-race unbroken record, and counting. Next races are Rainow 5 fell race on Wed eve, Buxworth 5 road race on Thu eve then Marlborough Downs Challenge 33 mile trail race on Sunday.

Back to today. The weather rewarded us with its usual sunny warmth. Conditions could not have been better for the slog up to the top of James' Thorn hill and back down with the small loop at the top to avoid the worst of the clashes between the leaders returning and the rest of us still climbing. Race winner Simon Harding of Macclesfield Harriers was too fast for me to get the camera ready. I think the first three passed me on the way down before I began the anticlockwise loop to the top.

On the downhill I was a bit spent from the climb, but with the runners I overtook on the climb I only lost 2 places on average. Final time was 43:02, placing 46th out of 111 finishers. Not so long ago I struggled to finish in the top half of a fell race. Now it's happening every time.

A rare backward-looking photo on the climb.

Number 2 Ian Mills powers back down.

Approaching the summit from round the back.

Downhill (almost) all the way to the finish.

Winner Simon Harding.

I took a ton of photos and uploaded 105. Here's the album.