Anniversary Waltz

A good start to a week in the Lakes.

I've just got back today from a week at the northern end of the Lake District, staying on the edge of Bowscale Fell, not too far from Blencathra.

Not exactly spoilt for choice, the only race available was the Anniversary Waltz on Easter Saturday. After much forethought, I decided I was just about up for it, especially as there appeared to be no timeout points and the weather had a chance of being reasonable when I registered online on the Monday before the race.

I also had the luxury of the race HQ being only 15 miles from the cottage at Bowscale. It was a good job we set off in reasonable time as the queue heading into Stair was quite lengthy. Anyway the race itself was very well organised and the start was a bit like a cross country with a lap of the field to try to string out the 500 or so runners (think there were 570 entered but only 469 finished). Located TF and also Suzanne who entered even closer to the deadline than I did, but Tony and Albert were elsewhere in the the throng.

It is a good steady easy climb up the valley before the first bit of hard work begins with the ascent of Robinson and  I think I managed to hold myself back as I was very concerned at blowing up due to my lack of recent experience of running over 2 hours. The trouble is that every climb has to be balanced by a descent so it wasn't long on the descent before TF caught me up and passed me. As the slope eased off and the ascent of Hindscarth started we ran together. The descent from Hindscarth is much more gentle so I was much more at ease now and pulled back a few places by Dale Head.

From Dale Head the real problem started - I didn't follow my pre-race plan and seemed to meander somewhat which probably lost me a few minutes, not many but enough to mean sub 3 hours was unlikely. TF was well away by now so I didn't expect to see her again until the finish. I'd found my level and was gaining again on the climbs and losing a bit on the descents until Catbells was reached where the descent again meant I lost a few places.

Overall I was happy with run - it is only half a mile short of being an A long and I wasn't last. In my book that's an achievement. I was also full of running at the finish, having taken two minutes out of someone who caught me on the descent of Catbells.  

I'd done quite  a bit of preparation for the race but there was one thing I'd not recce'd - the free food and beer after race - I should have headed much more quickly to the Village Hall but at least there was plenty left. 

TF had finished and was well gone, later to be seen dashing between the hostelries (or other dens of iniquity aka mountain shops?) of Keswick and no doubt planning her next thrashing of me on the fells.

Results (now including split times) at the AW site.

The race set me up for some good training in the following days with a nice run up Bowscale then over to Blencathra and back via Ballentyne Crags and another route which initially was very gentle to Skiddaw House then back via the paths that skirt Threlkeld and Scales which you can make as hard as you like - I made it harder than anticipated but still got me a good 4 hour run.

So I'm back in time for the Club Presentation where I receive the first thing I've won since I joined the club in 1990 (although I did actually win the Christmas handicap that year but you don't get a great big trophy for that). However, it will be tinged with sadness as I see that on Tuesday Steve Barlow lost his battle with cancer. Ed and JtE have obviously known Steve even longer than I have and I think YJ will have also known Steve well so it is a very sad day for Horwich RMI Harriers and all the people that have known Steve as a great runner, an active club member since the age of 12 (36 years ago) and one of the most warm-hearted people you could ever wish to meet.