Darren, Author at Mountains In Mind

About Darren

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CCC week

CCC Profile

The CCC race is one of the five races that form the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc and at 100km is often referred to as the ‘little sister’ of the main UTMB race. I had entered the CCC around December-time last year and when I heard I had been successful in the draw in the New Year, the excitement began to build from then on. We planned that this would be our summer holiday. You can always tell a dedicated runner when summer holiday plans revolve around a race. We were in Chamonix last year a week before the UTMB, when the atmosphere was beginning to build so I knew it was going to be an incredible experience and I wasn’t let down.

The start of the Petite Trotte de Leon (PTL)

We watched the start of the ‘Petite Trotte a Leon’ (PTL) race on the Monday. These guys are awesome. They had 5 days to trot around the mountains and complete the 300km route. They were in teams of 2 or 3 and had to be self-sufficient, carrying a full kit and navigating their own route between the checkpoints. The music was loud, the crowds were deafening, shouting, cheering, and ringing cow bells as they set off on their journey. An inspirational site.

The Expo opened on Tuesday and so did the heavens. It rained constantly all day. We went into Chamonix after lunch and as the expo was outside, each stand a wooden hut much like the Christmas markets, we dashed from stall to stall to avoid the rain. The river in Chamonix was in spate and was frighteningly high and fast flowing and had breached in several places causing flooding to a number of properties. This weather didn’t bode well for the race.

A busy but wet Expo

On Wednesday, it was a completely different day, beautifully warm and sunny. It was time for me to collect my race number or ‘bib’ as they call it in France. At the same time we also had to go through kit check and collect our final details and goody bag. We got to the leisure centre early where this was being held but there was a large queue out of the door. Never mind, it was sunny and the queue was moving quite swiftly so it didn’t seem to take too long. It was dawning on me the race was now becoming a reality and I was getting nervous.

Mont Blanc

Following kit check we had a meal in Chamonix. It was now time for the carbo loading to begin. Following my main course of veggie pasta, I took the opportunity to have a huge dessert, 2 crepes with chocolate sauce, banana, ice cream and cream, yummy!

Thursday, was a day of relaxation and eating. We went into Chamonix to watch the finish of the TDS and OCC race, clapping and cheering on the runners as they completed the race. It was great to see them running into the finish line hand-in-hand with their loved ones. It was a lovely surprise to bump into friends who were supporting too. A large lunch of pasta ensued followed later by pizza. After getting all my gear organised; gear for Darren to carry, gear for my drop bag and then sorting my own bag, it was time for an early night.

The alarm rudely went off at 4.30am on Friday morning and it was another 15 minutes before I could drag myself out of bed. There was plenty of time as the taxi wasn’t picking us up until 6am. Surprisingly, how fast this went though.

At Chamonix we had a short wait for the Shuttle bus to Courmayeur and it was still dark but pleasantly warm. The journey took about 45 minutes much of which was taken up by driving through the Mont Blanc tunnel, an experience in itself. Once we arrived on the other side of the tunnel in Italy, the views were once again, stunning. We were dropped off at a leisure centre where everybody seemed to head for the toilets. Unusually, the ladies toilet queue was much smaller than the men’s. I guess this is understandable when only 13% of the field is female, so a few men had cheekily joined in the ladies queue.

We then made our way to the start which was about a 10 minute walk away and met up with another friend who was running. It was now beginning to bustle, the music was loud and the atmosphere was friendly. Runners posed for photos, had last minute bites to eat and were wished on the their way by friends and relatives. I said my goodbyes to Darren as he wanted to get a good place in front of the start line. Soon everyone was in the starting pens and getting ready. There was a lot of cheering, clapping and waving as the atmosphere was intensified by the comperes. Then it was the count down in Italian and the first wave of runners were on their way to Vangelis’ Conquest of Paradise.

Just before the start of the CCC

After another 10 minutes and following the French Marseillaise, and with the count down in French this time, wave 2, which I was in was on its way. The crowd was deafening, cow bells ringing, people whooping and cheering. I spotted Darren filming using my pink iPad quite easily in the crowd. The start was easily en par with any of the big city marathons that I’d run. A fabulous experience, one that I’ll truly remember.

As we left the town we started to climb almost immediately, first on the road then on tracks and eventually on woodland trails. As the path narrowed and steepened, the pace slowed and there was a lot of hanging around and taking it in turns to move forward. Many people had got their trekking poles out from the beginning but mine were tucked away in my bag, which was an advantage at this point as it meant I was able to duck and dive quite flexibly around others. Soon we approached a steep drop, where again the path was very narrow, slippy, rocky and steep. The build up of people here was a little frustrating and others started to try and find alternative routes but it wasn’t easy with the steep ground and trees. We continued to climb and eventually the trees started to thin and we came out onto steep open ground. Above the tree line, you could see the field of runners ahead winding their way up to the top. This was the biggest single climb of the day from Courmayeur at an altitude of 1210m to the top of the Tete de la tronche at 2500m.

I didn’t stop at the mobile drinks station at the Tete but continued the steady, grassy and uneven descent to the first major checkpoint at Refuge Bertone. I had a swift couple of diluted cokes and a slice of a flapjacky-bar and continued on my way.

The next section headed steadily up the valley until a short, sharp climb to reach Checkpoint 2 at Refuge Bonatti. I had a toilet stop here and some more coke, flapjacky bar and a quick chat, before I headed on my way, once again heading up the valley. The views were stunning but at times the clouds seemed a little menacing, luckily after a few spit-spots of rain, it brightened up again as we headed to Arnuva.

I headed into the marquee checkpoint, I had some cheese and pulled the bread out of the centre of four small pieces of baguette (the crust was too tough!). I left the checkpoint, crossed the river and headed up the valley where I knew the next big climb was about to start. I pulled my poles out of my bag, little beknown to me, Darren was sat on a boulder higher up watching me start the next climb. Just at that moment, he sneakily ran past and surprised me by taking my photo. A quick kiss, another photo and I continued on my way. I felt strong on this climb, which passed really quickly to the Col de la Ferrat. At the top there was a small drinks and rest station, I didn’t stop and continued on straight through. I folded my poles as the descent looked good and I knew it would be an opportunity for some faster running on a narrow but well trodden path.

Starting the climb from Arnuva up to the Grand Col Feret

Starting the climb from Arnuva up to the Grand Col Ferrat

At the La Fouly checkpoint, I changed my top, to a long sleeved one as I felt it was getting cooler, filled my water bladder, had some food and then continued on my way again. As I left the marquee I noticed it was spitting with rain but then a 100m further up the road it got much heavier so I stopped under a shop canopy to put my waterproof jacket on.

Further on I caught up with a friend and we chatted and ran together for a short while. I was looking forward to the next checkpoint at Champex-Lac but didn’t realise there was a 500m ascent beforehand. This seemed to take a while and during the ascent a wave of nausea came over me. I knew I needed to eat some food and had been snacking on bars in my pocket all the way round but now I felt lacking in energy, thirsty and sick.

Upon arrival at Champex, the checkpoint was in a big marquee and was heaving with runners and supporters. It felt very hot, which didn’t help with the nausea. I tried to find a table to sit down at and had to push my way through the crowded tent to find a small space in the supporters area. I couldn’t see Darren and because I was not feeling great, I felt a little dispondent and low. I got a text from him to say he’d be there soon. I knew I needed to eat and went to get some pasta. I asked what the vegetarian option was but was looked at like I was an alien and given a plain bowl of pasta minus the sauce so I added some cheese onto it and a little salt and made my way back to the table.

The pasta made me feel much better and I got myself ready to go. Darren had now arrived and was very supportive. I changed my top again back to short sleeve as I had felt too hot with both the long sleeve top and waterproof jacket and felt this had contributed to my nauseous feeling. I was actually an hour at this checkpoint, which I wasn’t happy with but it was the first sit-down that I’d had and it helped me to regain my composure.

Leaving the Champex-Lac Checkpoint

I left the checkpoint and it was now dark and rainy. Another big climb ensued through woodland then out into the open, I was in a steady stream of other runners all in single file and at one point I struck up a conversation with an English guy. The going under foot was like a quagmire through the mud and a lot of the other runners were slipping and sliding but I found it ok with the support of my poles and being used to these conditions from back home. We skirted above the town on Martingny, which was lovely to look down on with its orange twinkly lights and eventually descended back through woodland. This was the longest section between checkpoints at 17km so it was a good feeling to arrive at Trient.

Darren was here to support me and I had a cup of tea and some more bread (without the crust) and cheese and was soon on my way again. It was straight out of the checkpoint and into a very steep climb of approx. 1000m. I took an energy gel about half way up and then on the descent I was feeling peckish so tried to eat a Nakd bar. This was awful, I couldn’t swallow. I mushed each bite in my mouth and with every attempt to swallow I was gagging and making horrible sounds. God knows what the other runners around me must have thought! I consumed 3/4 of the bar and that was as much as I could manage but it did sustain me to Vallorcine.

It was a short run in the dark through the village at Vallorcine, where there was music playing and people were cheering as I arrived at the Checkpoint. Two more cups of tea, some bread and I waited to use the wooden compostable port-a-loos but people seemed to be enthroned on these so I decided not to wait any longer as I could stop behind a tree further on. I was nauseous still, but felt positive here, knowing I could finish and was happy to be get on my way and out into the night.

The path made it’s way adjacent to a roaring river and then beside the railway line gently ascending to a road, where there was a intermediate checkpoint and our numbers were checked. We were guided across the road, not that it was busy at this unearthly time and we started the steep, rocky ascent almost immediately. The line of head torches snaking there way up the mountain was a sight I will never forget but at the same time quite scary as I could see the distance and height of the torches so knew the amount of climbing that was required on this final ascent. ‘Come on Clare’, I said to myself, ‘get on with it!’ …and off I went. I felt strong again and overtook a few other runners.

Towards the top it was misty and the light was bouncing back from my headtorch but then I noticed that it was starting to get lighter. As it dawned, I was going at the same pace as a French guy and almost simultaneously we took our eyes off the path and looked to the left. We both said wow! We were in awe of the beautiful mountainscape in the morning haze. The sharp rocky peaks were protruding through the clouds of the temperature inversion in the valley below. It was truly stunning.

Eventually, I arrived at La Flagere, the final checkpoint. The marquee was quiet. A few runners were sat down on chairs but I wanted to pass through relatively quickly. I had a quick cup of diluted coke and most of a chocolatey-cereal bar before heading out and past the ski lifts to start the long descent down to Chamonix.

When I say long descent, I mean long, it literally seemed to go on forever. It was quite tricky in places with rocks and trees roots trying to catch you out. I stopped briefly to remove my waterproof jacket as it was getting warmer the lower I got. Swiftly on my way again, it was nice to get off the trail and onto the tarmaced road of Chamonix. Not that I like tarmac, it was that I knew I hadn’t got much further to go to the finish then. I arrived at the familiar site of the leisure centre and turned right at the barrier. The piece of tape that Darren had tied to the barrier was still in place. Whilst we were watching the OCC race earlier in the week at this spot we noticed a few runners were a little uncertain of the direction at this point and the additional tape helped them. There was now only 1km left as I ran along the path beside the river. It was around 9.30am and people had come out to watch and support. There was cheers of support, clapping, shouting of ‘bravo’ and occasionally I heard a ‘well done’ as the Union Jack on my race number was spotted.

I was now running at a brisk and consistent pace. There was no other runners in front that I could see and as I came into the town centre and rounded the barriers and onto the finishing straight, I noticed that Darren was filming from the sidelines. The finish line was in sight and my eyes were focused on getting there, no time for frivolity until right at the end as I raised my arms as I crossed the line. I had finished. I was happy.

Positives

The wonderful scenery
Headtorches snaking across the mountains in the dark
Using trekking poles
No chaffing or blisters
The fabulous atmosphere
Having support around the route from Darren
The temperature
The selection of food available at checkpoints
Not feeling sleepy at all

Negatives

Feeling nauseous several times
Mud and rain
Busy checkpoints
Other peoples carelessness with trekking poles
Grit in my shoes (ankle gaiters would have proved invaluable)

Gear worn or used

MountainKing trail blaze trekking poles
Inov8 Trailroc 246 trainers
Skins 200 shorts
Nike Dry fit t-shirt/More Mile long sleeve top/Odlo ‘Run for your life’ t-shirt
Running Bear woollen socks
OMM Kamleika waterproof smock
Quechua 10 litre running rucksack
Sea-to-summit foldable beaker
Saloman baseball cap
Thin pair of gloves
Led Lenser SR7 headtorch
Buff
Asics sweatband on my wrist

Gear carried

North Face packable fleece top
Saloman waterproof over trousers
Adidas climafit long tights
Spare thin gloves
Lowe alpine powerstretch hat
Sealskins waterproof gloves
Emergency foil bivi
Emergency food
Petzl Tikka headtorch and spare batteries

Surrey 3 Peaks

Darren What do we get up to!

Leith Hill _ peak number 2 and the highest in Southeast Engalnd

Mountains in Mind had the pleasure of being part of the support team on Advocate Events’, Surrey 3 Peaks Challenge on Saturday in the Surrey Hills, Area of Outstanding National Beauty in the North Downs. I was a walking leader with the Gold group whilst Darren was on safety duties and a roving leader, meeting walkers at various point along the way.

The route started off from Holmbury Village Hall with a gradual ascent to the summit of Holmbury Hill then followed the Greensand Way to the top of Leith Hill, the highest point in the County of Surrey.

A superb gothic tower stands majestically on the summit built by the local squire in the 18th century to raise the height of the hill to over a 1000ft! Whilst enjoying the views of the surrounding plains, if the weather is clear you can admire the London skyline in the distance even picking out Wembley Stadium! We took advantage of the refreshment kiosk in the tower, I had a cup of tea, whilst others enjoyed a slice of cake before we continued on our journey. This was the end for the Twin Peaks walkers who then made their way back to Holmbury.

The Gold and Platinum walkers continued and followed the path which gradually descended through a fantastic ancient woodland with old coppiced trees and huge gnarly standards intermingling. A remnant of the traditional managed woodlands from a time gone by. Occasionally spotting the vibrant orange but poisonous berries of the Lords and Ladies plant, which added contrast to the otherwise green foliage on the woodland floor.

Lords and Ladies on the Surrey 3 Peaks

We continued on our journey through lovely picturesque villages before taking a quick rest stop on the green at Westcott. From here we picked up the North Downs Way through Denbies Vineyard, the largest vineyard in the UK.

As we walked along the road, much of the day had been spent underneath the canopy of the trees but here we came out into the sunshine and onto fabulous calcareous downland with a vibrant display of wildflowers. We took in the views looking over the vineyard towards Dorking and it was at this point I started to day-dream about a chilled glass of white wine! We heard the sound of a car and stepped to one side to let it pass, alas it was a road-train pulled by a Land Rover undertaking tours of the winery, whilst the passengers on board sampled the delights of what the vineyard had to offer.

Surrey 3 Peaks

After what seemed like a long descent through the trees, we crossed the busy A-road then walked through the car park and arrived at the stepping stones across the River Mole. From here, we climbed the 200+ steps to reach the top of Box Hill and arrive at Soloman’s Memorial, where we were rewarded with outstanding views across the plains below. The hill is a honey-pot for picnic-ers, walkers and cyclists, with the zig-zag road providing easy access to the summit by car and a challenge for cyclists wanting to replicate part of the route used in the Olympic Games.

Surrey 3 Peaks – all for Charity

At the summit of Box Hill, I took a few photos for the ladies I’d walked with and congratulated them on their achievement and provided them with their gold sticker to mark their accomplishment of walking 13 miles. Transport was provided (if required) back to the start, however, the Platinum group on the other hand, had the chance to have a coffee and cake at the visitor centre before they turned around to reverse their route back to Holmbury to complete 26 miles.

Box Hill – Peak number 3

I waited for a lift with a few of the other Gold group back to Holmbury Village Hall with Darren in the minibus, where once there, I had a quick change of clothes and a bite to eat before we jumped back into the bus to provide road support for the Platinum walkers on their return.

We headed back to Westcott and then on to Leith Hill, where I waited in the minibus to provide water for the walkers if they needed topping up. Darren walked to the top to await the returning Platinum walkers. After a short while, a large group went past supported by Daz and then a little later, Martyn came running past with one of the walkers, who had now decided she wanted to run back, so Martyn was accompanying her to show her the way. Finally, Darren arrived back accompanying the final walker. As he didn’t know the route back, within a few seconds, I had grabbed a bag and some water, and was unexpectedly back on the route, walking the last few miles back to Holmbury Village Hall. We arrived back at the Village Hall to a celebratory applause from the support team.

Raising much needed money for Charity

What a great day. The weather stayed warm and sunny so was a big bonus. We’d like to say a big well done to everyone for completing the challenge and for raising lots of much needed funds for the charities that were supported today.

Afterwards, the team all headed down to the pub in the village. Me for that much dreamt after glass of chilled white wine from earlier whilst the rest of the guys tucked into Monster Munch!

Scafell Pike for Team Brake

Darren Charity events

At the start in Wasdale Head Carpark

The morning of Saturday 21st June 2014 saw the inaugural charity challenge event run solely by Mountains in Mind. It was a combination of a many years in the making, life changing choices and goal achieving.

After introductions and team briefing we left the Wasdale Head National trust car park at 9:20 am. We moved at a very manageable pace, taking regular stops for water and food. The weather was hot, around 18-20 degrees in the sun. There was a slow wind which took the edge of the heat, and with the occasional cloud kept the temperature very manageable.

Team Brake along Brown Cove

We proceeded up to Lingmell Beck and then a steep ascent of Brown Tongue reaching the boulder field of ‘Hollow Stones’, where the view of Scafell Crags opens up in front of us. Above the crags a real life rescue, involving a SeaKing search and rescue helicopter was being undertaken, rescuing a fallen walker and evacuating to Carlisle Hospital, just highlighting that this is not a walk in the park.

Seaking Search and Rescue

Lunch stop before the Hollow Stones

The team then continued up over towards the summit on very uneven, sometimes boulder, sometimes loose and often steep path and with each step moving ever more closer to the summit and their goals.

Summit glory – GOAL acheived

The team reached the Summit of Englands Highest Peak – Scafell Pike ( 978 Meters / 3209 feet) at 1:30pm on Saturday 21^st June 2104 ( the longest day)

In Memory of Craig Cooke – Afghanistan veteran who’s life was cut short by 2 boy racers.

From the summit the team were gifted with far reaching views across the mountain surrounding tops of Lake District, down in to Morcombe Bay to the south, the Pennines to our east, north to Scotland, west to the Irish sea and hidden in the haze the Isle of Man. Time was taken t for photos, lunch and reflection.

We then started to descend from the summit, making sure that each foot placement was secure and helping to avoid a slip. Just past the slab the youngest member Ewan of the team took a stumble and banged his left knee against a rock and fell to the floor. Thankfully he did not cause to much damage other than a brushed knee. He managed to walk with the aid of poles.

Wastwater the deepest lake in England

Fiona and Carolyn walked behind with support. We moved down the mountain to get the main group back to the Car Park so they could depart. We arrived at the national Trust Car Park at 5:30pm.

I then continued back up the mountain to walk with Fiona and Carolyn. Carolyn had taken a fall higher up and twisted her ankle was moving slow, but was making great progress. Even with the tumble both were having the time of their life’s

Evening shadows in Wadsale and Scafell Pike

And arrived back safely at the car park at 8:30pm.

A moving Scafell Pike

Darren Charity events

The team then continued up over towards the summit on very uneven, sometimes boulder, sometimes loose and often steep path and with each step moving ever more closer to the summit and their goals.

The team reached the Summit of Englands Highest Peak – Scafell Pike ( 978 Meters / 3209 feet) at 1:30pm on Saturday 21^st June 2104 ( the longest day)

Fiona and Carolyn walked behind with support. We moved down the mountain to get the main group back to the Car Park so they could depart. We arrived at the National Trust Car Park at 5:30pm.

I then continued back up the mountain to walk with Fiona and Carolyn. Carolyn had taken a fall higher up and twisted her ankle was moving slow, but was making great progress.

Both were having the time of their life’s J

And we arrived back safely at the car park at 8:30pm.

Mountain Skills – Kinder Scout

Darren What do we get up to! 999, castleton, compass bearing, compass skills, darren hunt, edale, features, grid reference, kinder scout, map and compass, mountains, navigation for runners, navigation skills, navigation training, pacing, peak district, Running, timimg, trail running peak district, walking

KInder Scout

On Saturday 16th November saw 6 brave souls heading out on our latest Mountain Skills day for walkers and trail runners on Kinder Scout. The day started with mist clinging onto the edges of Kinder with winds gusting 35mph+. This caused a dilemma! The day will mainly be based around basic navigation techniques & emergency techniques, just in case. With the wind being so strong it would be virtually impossible to carry out any form of skills transfer. With the mist being low, although be great learning conditions, would be a little advanced for today. Thankfully whilst waiting in Edale car park the mist lifted,the decision was made. The route would take a line along Grindsbrook, then back along the edges towards Ringing Roger then descend back into Edale.

All of the team arrived and we set off at 0915 passing the ole nags head in Edale and up towards Grindslow Clough. The team practiced setting the map (orientating) to the ground, identifying features such as boundaries, walls, fences, old boundaries which aren’t as prominent, overtime being reduced to piles of rubble, but in a logical line. The team then practiced pacing and timing along the path, gaining a base for walking 100 metres which is used as an aid to determine distance traveled and distance to an objective. This is a key skill to master as it can help you navigate in poor visibility, feature less terrain ( such as on the summit of Kinder Scout ) or at night.

After a short break in the woods by Golden Clough it was time to have fun with the compass. We identified different types of compass, features of the compass, such as the base plate, compass housing, magnetic ‘north’ needle, the ‘ direction of travel’ arrow at the top end of the base plate, which is used to point the direction you want to walk. A few of the group realized their confusion between the ‘red’ magnetic arrow and the direction they walked in ( I’ll post a short video blog on this) this was a massive breakthrough and they could see so many doors opening in their navigation experience going forward.

We stopped for a spot of lunch in the shadows of Nether Tor and then is was time for Grid references. The team were tasked with finding various features on the map after understanding how the grid system works in the uk. They practiced with 4 figure grid references, then progressed to 6 figure grid references which relates to 100sqm of land on the ground. Carrying on along the path towards Grindsclough stoping at various points to take a grid reference, bearings and to identify our position.

Heading on to Kinder

The skies above had cleared and although very windy. I decided to end the day and to give the team a change to see what its like on top of Kinder Scout, we climbed the short, but steep path to the summit. The wind hit us like the downdraft of a Seaking Helicopter, re-grouping behind a small tor we moved off together. With the wind sometimes knocking us off balance, inmost cases the wind our backs so helped us move quickly. The team loved the experience, the exposure and the clear views all around high above the peak district and made for a great finish to the day.

Being blown around on Kinder Scout

On the descent we practiced setting up an emergency shelter , how quickly you warm up when taken out of the wind. We then discussed basic emergency techniques for calling for help!

‘Call 999 and ask for Police Mountain Rescue’

Immediatly Giving your name,mobile number and location ( grid reference). Then nature of the emergency, casualty details( name, age , sex), number in your party.

We headed back to the car park and with big smiles we bid our farewells till next time.

A BIG thank you to Rich , Julie, Chris, Carolyn, Jojo & Johnathan for a great day.

For more photos pop along to flickr

Click here to listen review what the guys thought of the day.

If you like to find out more about our skill transfers days for Walkers and Trail runners please drop us an email – adventures@mountainsinmind.com

Dusk til Dawn – 50 miles (during darkness)

Darren What do we get up to! dusk til dawn, fellsman, Running, tnfutmb, trail running, utmb

Before darkness

One thing I’ve learned from running in the dark is that distances seem a lot further…perhaps it’s just my mind playing tricks!

I woke up on the Saturday morning feeling quite apprehensive about the race. I’d prepared my bag the night previously so all I had to do was fill my water bladder and make sure I ate and drank sufficiently during the day. Darren had left the house at around 10.30am to run to Castleton, taking in the some of the route in reverse along the Limestone way that I would be covering later in the dark. It was a bright day, the sun was shining and although it had given out showers I was hopeful that the weather wasn’t going to be too bad for the race, at least the temperatures were not going to be cold.

I had a bit of a headache though, why? Was it stress…was I dehydrated…had I drunk enough? I took an ibuprofen as I didn’t want it to continue and hinder my preparations. What should I eat…the race started at 6pm and didn’t want anything heavy lying on my stomach. I had carbo- loaded the previous day, so I decided to have some toast with marmalade for breakfast. I was meeting Darren at Losehill hall around 2pm so I was able to shower and relax for a short period before making sure that I had everything I required in my overnight bag for the stay and eating two more slices of toast for lunch before I left.

Arriving at Castleton, I met Darren and was able to check into my room. Darren then had to dash off to the Marshall’s briefing so I had a short snooze and at 3.30pm, went to the kit check. This was was the most stringent kit check I had had come across in any race, each of the Marshall’s had a tick list to make sure that you were carrying or wearing all the required kit and you had to pass this before they would issue your race number.

He will collect your soul

I had decided to wear a pair of Ron Hill 3/4 tights that I’d had for a few years so I knew they were comfortable. In the past few races I’ d suffered from some chaffing on my lower back, which wasn’t noticeable on the races but had made me hit the roof as it stung like hell when I’d jumped in the shower afterwards! So I decided to smother my lower back with Vaseline before putting on my top. Over this, I wore an Adidas high-viz climaproof gilet that I’d bought just for the race as I knew we had to wear something reflective and thought I would try a gilet to give me that little extra bit of protection from the wind as I was often too warm running in my long sleeve waterproof.

In the mesh pockets on the side of my rucksack I put my hat in one side and my torch and gloves in the other side so I knew these were accessible without taking my rucksack off. In the waist pockets I carried a small supply of food; chocolate raisins, a trek bar and some tiny cheese and cranberry sandwiches, made from Warburton’s sandwich thins. I have found these to be ideal for running on because they are small and light. I was running in a pair of trusty woollen Running Bear socks together with a pair of purple Saloman Speedcross 3 trainers. I’ve worn Running Bear socks (not the same pair!) for over ten years now as I’ve always found the wool prevents my feet from blistering but I’d never raced in these trainers before.

Dusk til Dawn safety briefing

I then waited for the briefing prior to the start. The room was now very busy, heaving with runners doing last minute kit checks, stretching and any other weird and random rituals runners seem to do! Richard was very thorough providing good advice on various sections of the route which having undertaken the recce a few weeks earlier, I was visualising as I traced the route on the laminated map we were provided with.

I met Ode in the room before the briefing and a few other runners that I knew. Following the briefing we made our way to the start line, which was about 10 minutes walk from Lose Hill hall. I said goodbye to Darren had a few photos taken and before we knew it, we were underway heading up the road towards Lose Hill itself. Towards the summit of Lose Hill was the first control and as I had my head down for the climb, I almost missed it on the fence. Some others seemed to have done the same as a few minutes later several runners were retracing their steps. Up and over the summit it was now getting dark as we started heading back down towards Hope. On a steep grassy section though, I went over on my left ankle which made me swear to myself and left me hobbling for a few moments before I pulled myself together. It prompted me to swiftly pull out my headtorch as the darkness was now looming. I felt annoyed at myself momentarily but the pain didn’t last long and I was able to catch up with those that had overtaken me as we snaked along the paths back towards Castleton.

Heading up Cavedale it was wet underfoot and I was glad I was going up rather than descending as the limestone at the entrance to the dale is very slippy. The runners were starting to thin out a little now and the wind was beginning to pick up as it started to drizzle. I felt warm and was reluctant to put on my water proof as my gilet was keeping me relatively dry. We picked up the Limestone Way and followed this for sometime. This was the part of the course that I was least familiar with as I had undertaken the recce for this section in the dark but there was still plenty of other runners around at this point so I was not concerned. A quick stop at checkpoint 2 for some juice and a couple of pieces of chocolate brownie and I was on my way again heading towards Miller’s Dale.

Crossing the bridge over the river Wye was a poignant moment as this was a spot my beloved collie, Jed, always liked to have a quick swim to clean up after we’d had a run together around Miller’s Dale. This was followed by a steep climb at Priestcliffe, where there was a sign by the path which said something like ‘almost there’ then not long after that there was another one that said ‘just kidding! …that made me smile.

Heading towards the Marshall point on the road crossing at the Waterloo Inn the rain got progressively heavier. The sleeves on my top under my gilet were now starting to get wet so I crossed over the road and pulled on my waterproof smock as I ascended the track. The rain was heavy at this point and as I ran along the road and track sections the rain was horizontal and being blown straight into my face. I had put my gloves on earlier and pulled my waterproof jacket sleeves over my gloves to keep them dry. It’s a good job I’ve only got short arms!

Heading along the road, my head torch was now starting to blink a red light and I knew that this meant the battery was running low. This was going to be good test for my new Led Lenser torch as I’d only had it for less than a month and was unsure of the battery life. I was on the track section when my headtorch completely died but was able to continue running in the pitch black before getting my back up Petzl XP torch out of my rucksack. I find it easier to carry a back up torch for a quick switch over rather than struggling to replace the batteries in the dark.

A welcome site. Earl sterndale – CP3

Arriving at Earl Sterndale it was good to see Darren there who was on marshall duties. I found my drop bag and quickly changed into a dry top. I also swapped over my headtorch for Darren’s. After two cups of tea, some malt loaf and a quick toilet stop, I was off again only to turn around and run back in to the hall as I remembered I’d left my wet clothes in an unnamed carrier bag on the floor rather than place them in my drop bag. Take two! Hood up with my hat on underneath, I felt a little chilled after stopping but running down the road I soon warmed up again. The path on the right climbed through the cottage’s rock garden and over a stile onto to open fields where I was met with a short but steep climb up to the quarry. Then turning left onto a a very rutted track where care had to be taken and concentration was required on foot placement before crossing the road and several fields to gain the country lane that led to High Edge Raceway. It was on the lane I turned off my headtorch, not as a race tactic…I had recently read Scott Jurek’s ‘Eat and Run’ and the top ultra runners employed this technique at times so that the opposition couldn’t see them catching them up in the dark. However, mine was to conserve the battery life of my headtorch! There was now no one else around and it was enjoyable to run this section with the dim moonlight reflecting on the road surface and as I approached the raceway it was well floodlit anyway. I could see that I was catching some other runners up ahead in the distance with their headtorches.

I jumped over the stile and headed across the field and by now I had caught up with a guy and recounted my story of when I recced this section on a dark, gloomy night with Darren. Four horses had come galloping straight out of the out of the fog towards us, scary!

After crossing the A53, the route picked up at old track before crossing the infamous A537 known as the ‘Cat & Fiddle’ road, renowned as the most dangerous road in the United Kingdom! Before joining Macclesfield old road and heading upwards towards the Cat & Fiddle Inn.

It was a delight to walk into the pub and to be clapped and cheered on arrival and to receive such a warm and friendly welcome. The log fire was burning and and I was offered a cup of tea and grabbed a bite to eat before another quick loo break, having my photo taken and returning back outside. I checked the time and it was now 12.30am and I’d completed 27.6 miles.

Heading over Shining Tor, clipping the checkpoint on the summit, the weather was now clear, the moon was out and the twinkling lights of Macclesfield and beyond were quite mesmerising. Picking up the flagged pathway from the summit and heading down over Cats Tor to the road, I opted to turn left here and then take the road on the right heading towards Wingather Rocks. I gained a lot of momentum as I ran down the road but it did seem to take a lot longer here than what I’d remembered from the recce. Eventually, I arrived at the quarried area and scrambled up to join the main path over Windgather rocks. I’d pulled ahead of some other runners at this point and was back on my own again but felt comfy with this as I was familiar with the area.

Arriving at Taxal, I remembered what Richard had said about the church yard being dark and spooky so as I ran past the cemetary I made sure I kept my eyes well focused on the path! After crossing the river and heading up to the road, I thought it was another glow stick pointing the way but as I got closer it was a skull with green glowing eyes!

At the top, I was greeted by a nice friendly welcome from Wendy, had a quick slurp of coke and headed across the A5004. Crossing over a number of fields and clipping the checkpoint at the ‘difficult to find stile’ which I had no difficulties with tonight as there were glow sticks and reflective tape a-plenty, I then headed towards Tunstead Milton.

The next section was a steep ascent on the road heading up to Eccles Pike. I was starting to feel a little sickly here and on the descent felt I wasn’t giving it my best. A quick clip at the checkpoint on the gate, I had now been caught up by another runner as we headed past the Works and over the railway line on the outskirts of Chinley and another short section on the road before a sharp right turn up to Checkpoint 9.

Oasis in the Darkness – CP9 – Cracken Edge

I was greeted by the Marshalls and it was nice to see Darren had also made it here to meet me. I wasn’t sure whether he would make it as he was on marshalling duty and had previously let me know that he may have had to drive some of the non- completers back to the start. There was a large tent & one of the guys was cooking burgers but being vegetarian and also as I was feeling nauseous, the smell wasn’t nice. I knew I had to eat something and Darren had bought a cheese sandwich and although I didn’t really have the appetite for it I made myself eat half of it as knew I needed the sustainance to keep going. Two cups of tea & a quick swap of the headtorch, which Darren had put new batteries in for me, I could see the headtorches of other runners approaching so I knew it was time for me to bid farewell.

I set off up over Cracken edge and followed the detour due to a collapsed path and soon found the notable bench, which a few yards further on, I had to turn right then zig zag down the fields. A quick wee stop behind a wall and I was off again, crossing the A624, passing the rusty plough and ascending Mount Famine to join up with the Peninne Bridleway and to clip checkpoint 10.

The next stretch seemed to take forever! It was on a track, which was undulating and the going under foot was rocky and uneven. I was beginning to get tired now and my throat felt sore, not sure why. I was focused on getting to the road Marshall at the start of Rush-up Edge. In my mind, I knew I would finish now, my feet were in good condition and I could expect to be tired at this stage. At one of the gates, it had a sign indicating the path was closed but I ignored this as there was no alternative to where I needed to be. The track was undergoing restoration work and although it was more uneven with the works it wasn’t an issue.

I arrived at the Marshall point, and was glad to see another person as I had been on my own without seeing another sole, apart from distant headtorch beams, for what seemed quite a long time now. Turning left along the path, it had now started to rain again and I felt chilled as the wind had picked up too. I was too tired to run the gentle up hill sections which I would have done normally and because of this it seemed to take forever to make any progress, however, once over Lord’s Seat I was glad to be able to pick up the pace and to run the grassy descent and arrive at the road just below Mam Tor. I’d now been joined by two other runners as we made the short ascent up to Mam Tor summit. The rain had eased but the paved path was slippy with the wet conditions so on the descent to Hollins Cross I kept to the side, on the grass.

A quick clip of the final checkpoint and it was now all down hill to the finish. Little did I know how tricky this would be. I was aware from the recce that the path was blocky but under such wet conditions it was treacherous. So my progress was hindered as I slowed down to concentrate. The other two guys had now pulled significantly ahead and this made me despondent that I couldn’t keep up with them for this final stretch. I soon hit the gate that I’d passed through earlier on the way up to Lose Hill and knew it wasn’t far to the finish.

50 miles – Done

I ran down the road and continued past the start line and into the village turning left and and then eventually left again into the grounds of Lose Hill Hall. This section seemed to to take ages but not far to go now even though the road was very slightly up hill so was hard going on tired legs. I trotted past the YHA and under the arch and into the mews at the back to the finish. I was happy and arrived just in the knack of time to complete the route in the darkness. The next runner in after me was now in the twilight zone!

Talking to sheep – Ultimate Trails 100km

Darren What do we get up to!

3 years ago before I dropped my weight the thought of running a marathon was way out there. I was in total ore to those who took on such a feat and 100km wasn’t even on the radar, in fact when i was told that people ran over Mont Blanc was crazy.

Then after joining a local running club – mow cop runners i started to be introduced to such craziness.

Fast forward the time machine to saturday 14th september and i was toeing the line with 210 or so souls. We were pitting ourselves against 100km of brutal lake district terrain on the inaugural running of the ultimate trails 100km. Feeling in total respect for the other athletes i felt a little out of water to be honest. i hadn’t put in anywhere near as much training as i’d have liked. I’d done some 3-4 hour training runs in and around Buxton and the Alps. Still no time to think the start had begun. With the sound reminiscent of an alpine race we trotted past well wishers jangling cow bells from with the darkness – the time 6am.

With the dawn fast approaching we headed up from Brockhole ( the start ) to troutbeck abd over Garburn Pass into our first control point (cp) and food station. fueled on bananas i wanted to stear clear of the sweet stuff till later in the race!

Off we trotted along Kentmere to climb over the Nant Bield pass in to Mardale and Hawswater. A tough climb with slippy rocks on the descent – I felt good at this point – passing a few fellow runners on the way down. 2nd cp. filled hydration system with water and crabed a flapjack, ginger biscuit and sip of watered down coke. the coke instantly made me feel sick – what crap is in this stuff? I hadn’t touch a fizzy drink for 3 years (except oringina in france) so probably not the best time to start.

Along the banks of Hawes water we were baked in glourious sunshine which would stay with us all day. It was a long way to Bampton, well only 7 mile but felt like 14 miles. and after a road section we arrived at 3rd cp at aprox 18 mile. I was damn hungry and was welcomed with a small bowl of noodles. Still hungry and not wanting any sweet stuff after the coke episode I spotted a bacon buttie, I wouldn’t normally but needs must and instantly my energy levels shot through the roof. feeling a little cold I left for the next section to Howtown.

More road saw us enter on the lower fringes of Askham Fell and wasn’t long before we joined the Tour de Helvellyn route which follows a line with gloriuos views over the fells and Ullswater. I lost my energy again, and ended up plodding and losing sight of some of the fore runners. The lack of training was certainly starting to show, but mentally I was OK. And we landed at the next CP in Howtown. The marshals were amazing and helped us with food and water, even hot drinks. I resisted the temptation to sit down, grabbed a banana and ginger biscuit and headed out on the next section to Patterdale – the 1/2 way point.

The next section continued along the Tour de Helvellyn route to Martindale and up over Boredale Hause. I was on my own for a good part of this section, trying to keep in front of a group. After passing the farm at Boredale head I saw a herd of dear on the flanks of Beda fell. I walked most of the climb to the Coll and was happy to see the Patterdale valley below and Grisdale valley behind which was being watched over by Striding edge. A nice run down the loose path to the valley bottom and my legs and feet were beginning to feel it now. A run along the road and I was at the CP and 1/2 way – 50k.

The CP was also the location for our drop bags and a chance to put on my warm cloths, re-fuel and take 5. I fumbled around for a while, pretty whacked at this point, but ready to crack on. I’d been imagining seeing some sandwiches at the CP, but there was only noodles and soup. which was OK but I wanted bread!!! Still after a quick change it was time to leave and head up and over Grisdale Tarn to Dunmail raise.

It was a lovely evening afternoon and a slow run along the road my feet were killing and blisters on my little toes getting more tender. I spied Pinnacle ridge, which we had climbed on a wet day in April high above. The summits of Nethermost Pike and Dolywagon kept a watch over me all the way up to Grisdale tarn. We passed many walkers who asked us what we were doing and praised us and at the same time thinking we were bonkers!!! Yep :). The walk up was no more than a walk now and I just focused on keeping moving to stay a head of the cut off times. I’m think now I should have bought some poles to keep a good pace and to ease the pressure on the down hills. Grisdale tarn took us to the left side and down the path to Dunmail raise, slow now as feet were killing at legs were shot. Maybe the 50k would have been a better choice. Made the CP – starving and looking forwards to a nice hot bowl of noodles – the hot water tank was broke so no noodles!!! tried to force some sweet stuff down, but only managed 2 ginger biscuits – not good.

Brake for Snowdon

Darren Charity events brake, charity, Llanberis, miners track, Mountains in mind, pen y pass, pyg track, snowdon, wales

Starting along the Miners Track

We had the privilege to walk with a truly inspirational lady on Sunday 1st September up on Snowdon. Now this lady ( lets call her Carolyn as that’s her name) was no ordinary lady, because just over 5 years ago she was involved in a serious road traffic collision which rendered her paralysed. The doctors told Carolyn she would never walk again!!! But she had a dream since a child of climbing Snowdon, Wales’s highest mountain. As we came to know Carolyn on the hill being told she never walk again made her even more determined. So in September of 2012 she set a goal of walking to the top of Snowdon and raise a sack full of money for a great charity which had helped Carolyn through some very low times – www.brake.org.uk

Time to chill

We first met on Facebook when a mutual friend Rich Vincent, a triathlon coach, liked her Facebook group – I was so moved by Carolyn’s story I had to offer to share my skills as Mountain Leader and walk with them on the hill. But unknown to me it was going to be the greatest experience I had ever had on a mountain, one I will treasure and never forget. Over time I witnessed Carolyn start walking 2-3-9-11 miles over the course of 12 months and I could see she was determined to climb the hill. She had her doubts but deep down I knew she would do it 🙂

Climbing towards the Pyg Track

So an early Sunday morning we find ourselves on Pen-y-Pass car park and along with Carolyn and 9 friends we start the walk along the Miners Track to the summit of Snowdon. The weather was cloudy and dry, the clag was covering the summit. We continued along the path, with Carolyn apologising because she was slow, myself and friend Rich told her she had to leave that word on the hill 🙂 All the way through the day Carolyn did not complain and after a nervous nights sleep was completely enjoying her self and the wonderful scenery. The scramble and steep climb up to join the Pyg track looked daunting to Carolyn – ‘just take one step at a time and you will make it’ She did even though she was in excruciating pain from the accident – she didn’t complain once a true testament.

To of the Pyg Track

After a while we topped out on the Pyg track, making regular stops along the way so Carolyn could take a breath and fight off the pain. The hill was busy today, 3 peaks, charity events, walkers, and day trippers coming up on the Snowdon Railway. After a break by the monolith stone we continued the short way to the summit, the clouds parting for a few seconds to show Carolyn what the summit looked like and then returned.

Summit of Snowdon

After hugs, tears of joy, Carolyn stood on the top of Snowdon – her dream fulfilled and doubts smashed. She had done it..!!!

Break in the clouds – Snowdon

After a short break from the wind and dampness we oped in to the summit cafe, then we started the long climb down the Llanberis path. Again Carolyn did not complain once. Taking a few steps at a time we moved closer to completing a great day, passing the half way cafe we stopped for a few photos and Carolyn made a few calls and sent texts of exhilaration.

Llanberis Path – Done

The day was nearly completed and all that remained was the last climb back to to the camp site. Carolyn was offered a lift and not surprisingly, refused gracefully. Just under 12 hours of walking we arrived back at the campsite – with one very, very happy Carolyn. Demons berried, FEAR quashed and the doubters silenced. She had done it !!!! and in the process raising over £1200 for a charity, which in many ways saved her life.

Carolyn asked me ‘ Is this the longest time I had been on Snowdon’ It was, but you know something, it was and will be the most enjoyable time I’ll ever have on the mountains, and that takes something to beat.

Also we introduced Carolyn to the ‘Selfie‘

Seflie on Snowdon

A Great Day

One to remember

Darren 🙂

Osmotherly Phoenix

Darren What do we get up to!

Saturday 6th July we were in Osmotherley for our second running of the 33 mile leg of the Osmotherley Phoenix. The weather forecast was correct, with a hot day ahead, some estimated in the high 20’s. Actually when we returned to the car, the thermostat was showing 34 :-0.

I love this area of the UK, brings back fond memories of holidays a youngster and not so young. Walking the Coast to Coast and the laid back feeling of the area.

After a warm start we started very slowly, knowing that the heat will play a big part in the outcome of the day ( I just hadn’t realised how much). We arrived at the first control point and dropped the little tag in the bucket then it was off to the 2nd and first manned control point. The views along Lyke Wake walk and Coast to Coast path was amazing. The paths were dry and the weather was HOT 25 at 9:30 am. I started very early to loose energy and it didn’t feel right. I felt better last year with less training and managed to finish the 33 mile, but today it felt different! My hydration was taken care off as I’d decided to run with a 2 liter Platypus hydration pack and take water at the control points.

After what seamed like a few minutes we arrived at the Heathwaite Green food stop, then onto to Calton bank were the 17 mile route slits away to join the 26 and 33 mile route later on. I was struggling and I started to loose concentration and the ‘voice’ started to take over – damn. I was starting to give in so early on in the race. I gathered my thoughts and the momentum of other runners behind kept me gong for a few more miles.

We hit clay bank, fueled, watered and took 3 minutes then on to the climb to Round hill, with gentle jogging we reached the summit. There was a breeze which helped to cool us down a little, but I was struggling now. The route followed fire tracks down towards Chop Gate – I gathered some speed, but it wasn’t enough and I was quite visible struggling. Started to feel a little sick, light headed and started to stumble a little. mmmm Not good. On arriving at Chop Gate control point i had some cold water and forced a flap jack down, which made me feel even more sick. Clare as always was a great support, I tried to grow a pair but with tears and a lump in my throat I threw in the towel. The weather and the course had won after only 16 miles in 3 hours 47 Mins.

I didn’t want to damage myself any further as I knew the symptoms I had a dose of Heat exhaustion and wanted to recover sufficiency for our trip to Mont Blanc the following Friday, which I knew would be an even hotter trip.

I handed the maps to Clare and she tried to encourage me to run to the next control point, but I had nothing left. Clare completed the 26 mile leg.

A great quote from Kevin Spacey after Andy Murray’s Wimbledon win –

‘Defeat , failure , falling on your face , falling on your ass , is the only way to learn how to win. – Kevin Spacey

Here’s to life’s lessons – Darren

Finish Line – Osmotherley Phoenix

All the 3’s – 3 Peaks, 3 Parks, 3 weekends

Darren Charity events, What do we get up to!

Ingleborough – Yorkshire 3 Peaks

I love the National Parks in the UK and what better than to visit three different National Parks on three consecutive weekends. My journey began in the Yorkshire Dales where I headed for the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Fell Race, a classic race within the fell running calendar, which has been run since 1954.and described as the “the Marathon with Mountains” because of its 5,270ft of ascent. I had an early start on the day of the race as it took 2 hours to drive to the event in the village of Horton in Ribblesdale. The hills were white over from a dusting of snow overnight when I arrived. I parked up and was feeling nervous and apprehensive. It had been a long time since I had done the 3 Peaks and the last time was not in a race but at walking pace. I registered and was offered a free pair of Salomon EXO S-LAB socks, great I thought, however at size 42 way too big for my size 36 feet so a nice little present for Darren. Hhhmmmm!! it didn’t go well, I was sluggish on the ascent up to Pen-y-Ghent and felt like I was going nowhere fast. We had a hail/snow flurry which didn’t bode well. I carried onwards and upwards and then I saw the front runners, who were incredibly fast and agile on descent returning, wow! I wish I could run like that! As I continued we headed on along a new footpath over Whitber Hill. Apparently, this reduced the length of the race by 100 meters! Then it felt like a long slog over to the Ribblehead Viaduct. The sun had now come out and I was maintaining a steady pace. My thoughts were on getting to the Ribblehead in time for the checkpoint. I arrived at Ribblehead and faffed around trying to find my own bottle of lucozade. I had labelled it with my name rather than my number so it was difficult to find. I felt a little hungry too so I started off down the track at walking pace whilst eating a cliff bar. In hindsight, this cost me valuable time, which I’d come to regret later on. After seeing a few other walkers heading in the opposite direction I new these must be on the 61 mile Fellsman event, I continued and headed up the steep ascent of Whernside. The runners in front of me looked like a trail of ants as they steadily climbed their way up to the summit. I was feeling a lot stronger on this climb maybe it was that cliff bar and lucozade that gave me the boost. The shout of support from the marshal at the summit was a great boost and then it was a swift descent, following the flags down a rocky and uneven path to the Old Hill Inn. As I was descending another marshal shouted that I had only a short amount of time to make it to the next checkpoint before it closed. I tried to pick up my pace but couldn’t go any faster. As I arrived at the Checkpoint I thought I was ok but was gutted when they said I’d missed the cut-off time by three minutes. I was asked whether I had a lift back to the start, which I hadn’t and was informed that a mini bus was waiting to take those who had missed the cut-off time back. One mini bus had already taken a number of runners back already. As I climbed on board, everyone looked glum and no-one was talking. I took a single seat and was annoyed with myself as I didn’t expect my race to finish here. One guy got on the bus he exclaimed ‘is this the minibus of shame!?’ I got off the bus, handed in my dibber and sloped off back to the car with my head hung low. I was disappointed not to have finished but gained a few valuable lessons to take forward in the future. The following weekend, the sun was shining and it was an unusually beautiful bank holiday weekend, which saw a trip to the Peak District. On the Saturday, an afternoon trip to the Roaches was spent making a den and doing some fun climbing with Charlotte and Ellie. This was followed on the Sunday by the Stanage Stumble. This 25 mile event was organised by and in aid of Sheffield Home-start, a charity which helps support vulnerable Sheffield families. There were both walkers and runners in the event, which started from the HSBC social club on the outskirts of Sheffield climbed up through the Limb valley before heading out into the Peak District. The route ran past the Fox House pub and old haunt from my student days in Sheffield, where many an evening was spent in here after climbing on the local crags. After the Fox House, there was then a steady climb followed by a scramble to the summit of Higgar Tor and then quick descent to check point 2. From here I was on unfamiliar territory, and for the life of me, couldn’t remember this part of the route from two years ago. Luckily, I was running at the time with a few other guys so navigation was easy. Eventually we, climbed up to Stanage Edge and ran on the footpath under the crags and across the main road to Moscar Lodge. Heading towards the Rivelin Valley, I was now running on my own and remembered this part of the route well, having done a training run around here a couple of times since 2010. The route climbed up and then descended to Redmires Reservoir where another checkpoint awaited. After a swift cup of juice and a biscuit I ran back up the track heading towards Stanage Pole. I kept on the track until I got to the edge, then had to skip light-footedly across the top of Stanage Edge. Another guy from Hull caught me up and we were chatting merrily about the Bob Graham Round when we realised we had strayed off the main footpath and ended up crossing some heather and bog as we made our way to the final checkpoint at Burbage North. We ran over Burbage then at the stream turned north west and followed a footpath which brought us back onto the track that we initially took earlier in the day. A fast run back along the track and a swift descent back through the LimbValley we returned to the HSBC sports club. I thoroughly enjoyed the run and was pleased that I managed to knock about 6 minutes off my time in 2010. Participants were provided with a meal at the finish and were presented with a badge and certificate. The organiser asked me if I’d had a good time and I commented that I found this event very enjoyable. On the way out we were given a Lush bar of soap, which was delightfully scented. Weekend three saw me visiting the Lake District. The weather couldn’t have been different from the two previous weekends and as we were driving into the Lakes it was rainy and miserable. I was heading to Ambleside to run the Fairfield Horseshoe Fell Race. This again was a well established race, first being ran in 1966. This year it was a counter in the English Fell Running Championships so there was a big field, The entries had closed several weeks earlier when the limit of 500 had been reached. When we arrived, cars were having difficulty getting onto the field because of the rain and as a result the start was delayed by 30minutes, which in fact turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Before the race everyone was huddled under a gazebo trying to stay dry, then 10 minutes before the start, it brightened up so by the time we set off the rain had stopped. We headed up through the farmyard then out onto the open fell, where the race continued up over Heron Pike and Great Rigg. There was a short shower at this point which gladly didn’t last too long. On reaching the summit of Fairfield, the interesting challenge started with a rocky descent then a short climb up to Hart Crag. The field had now dispersed and there seemed to be runners taking a variety of routes. At this point I was on the left of the wall on the climb up to Hart Crag. There was then steep decent to Dove Crag over rocky terrain and boggy patches. As we descended I knew there was an awkward rocky step beside the wall and my intention was to avoid this, but much to my dismay I was lured in the wrong direction and rather than going around to left, I ending up following a few hesitant runners as they made their way down this tricky step. After a few strides it was back to race pace and a descent through a gateway and a familiar cheer spurring me on. I was surprised to see Darren at this point and didn’t recognise him as he had changed his clothes from earlier in the day to run up the hill to support. We dropped down through some woods then onto the track and headed back towards the finish line. I had a sprint finish with a guy that was just in front of me and was pipped to the post (only just!) Unbeknown to me at the time, it was a runner who I knew from one of the local club’s back home. We greeted each other with surprise as I held out my hand to congratulate him. By this time the sun was shining and it had turned out lovely. Darren met me at the finish and we mingled with the other runners and had a drink of tea before heading back to the car to clean up. I had thoroughly enjoyed the race J