Yesterday saw the annual joy that is the Wasdale Fell Race. I love it. I have never run as fast as I want to, as for some reason I never feel fit at this point in the year – maybe I need to re-examine that – but I always enjoy it – be it the clag and wind and rain of last year or the benign conditions of this year!
I had felt disrupted in my running in the previous few weeks with the Three Peaks Yacht Race calamity and Duddon DNF, so I decided to concentrate of just finishing. I told myself I didn’t care what time I did or where I came (although secretly I did mind!) and came up with a game plan of steady does it.
It was a warm day with some cloud around but it wasn’t threatening and the forecast was OK. I did make an effort to do some warm up and drills, to try and get my hips moving well. This is always hard to do before a long race, but the first climb is fairly tough on Wasdale and so it does make sense to be warmed up and ready.
At 11am we were off, and after an initial surge as is my want, I settled down to a very steady pace. Hazel came past me on the first climb up the corpse road, and I resisted the temptation to stick with her. I held my steady pace, and let others come past me – but it was really hard to hold to my plan! The top of Ill-Gill Head was in the clag, and for once the lead runners got a good line as the pack followed in true snake-like mode. At the top of the climb, I started to go past a few people, despite not feeling like I was speeding up, and then passed a few more on the descent to Greendale, after the first checkpoint on Whin Rigg. I think I was about 7th Lady over Whin Rigg. I have to admit here to a bit of increased speed as I know the descent to the valley and love it so I guess its not a surprise that I passed a few.
The run across the valley is always harder than I remember as it’s not flat and it’s longer that you anticipate, still I pulled another few places on the way to Joss’s. It was then another steady climb up to Seatallan, taking my time, and actually enjoying it! I was shadowed by another lady on the climb up, and she over took me as we rounded the summit of Seatallan, and pulled away slightly down to Pots of Ashness.
About half way along the leg between Pots and the Scoat Fell Col, my speed seemed to increase compared with my fellow runners, or did they slow? Anyway I reeled in the lass in front of me and then another one passing Black Crag, and arrived at Pillar in 4th place. I was running with my club mate Bill at this point and we snaked our way down off Pillar - a route we both know very well.
Approaching Kirkfell and Black Sail Pass, I realised my calf was showing signs of wanting to cramp, so I took on board some electrolyte at this point and with some careful running and a bit of energy too, it seemed to ware off by the time I approached Beck Head. As I started to climb up Gable, I spotted to lasses in front of me and realised they were 3rd and 2nd ladies, so I dug deep, with some effusive encouragement from a friend who was out supporting here, overtaking 3rd near the bottom and finally catching 2nd as we went over the top. Both looked tired!! Great!
I’d been recceing a good quick descent line off Gable to Sty Head Pass and it easily gave me significant distance on the lasses I’d past and I made ground on runners ahead. Taking on more food and water, I got my head down and for the first time managed to run quite a bit of the route from Sty Head to Esk Hause and onto the tops, still passing the odd runner. I have to say I felt really quite strong at this point! Onwards and over the lumps and bumps of Broad Crag and Ill Crag to the final summit of the Pike, which was slightly in the mist, and the off on the fun descent of Lingmell Nose. As always my legs felt the descent and I ended up breaking too much – I must loosen up!
I finished in a new PB of 5 hours 25 minutes, not a blinding time but considering the purposefully slow start I made, and the fact it was a pb, I’m happy and I was also 2nd Lady!! Not bad for an easy steady start.
No comments:
Post a Comment