Sunday, March 18, 2012

Heptonstall Fell Race Sunday 18th March 24K/1000m

Well that was novel, sent on our way by the local vicar! Some would say that there could be a conflict of interest with it being the Sabbath. But needs must, some of the funds raised from the race were going to help provide some new loos for the village church, so I'm guessing he waived the appearance fee.

As a bonus this year he'd had a word with his boss and some nice sunshine was laid on just to make it easier finding our way.

Here he is at the start of last years' race

image

No new outfit this year, so things must be tough. A brief-ish sermon (we weren't getting off that lightly) before he pressed the hooter, with a quotation from Hebrews Chp 12 v1. I only caught the word 'race' so had to look up the full words when I got home

'Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us'

I have to hand it to the race organizers they'd done a grand job flagging the course. They'd left a few bits for us to navigate which caught out the unwary. They'd even built a wooden ladder stile to ease a bottleneck at an early point in the race.

Having recce'd the route over xmas I thought it'd be a nice little leg stretcher between Howarth Hobble and Edale. Got home feeling just as tired as last week, having only done less than half the miles. Hebrews Chp 12 v8 (King James version) has a good word that can be used to describe the climb they used to get back into the village from the river at Horse Bridge. I'll let you google it!

Total time for 15m approx 3hr37, (winner 2hr08). Not a sparkling performance, I did start to suffer with 'twitchy' calves about the 11m mark, but thankfully managed to ward off the dreaded cramp. Will need to up my salt intake this week if I want to avoid it at Edale next week.

TF

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